ELLWOOD CITY — Motorists should start seeing a change this week when they drive through the school safety zone near Hartman Elementary and Lincoln High schools.
Randy Gatto, borough public works director, said new signs along Fourth Street and Crescent Avenue will alert drivers to adjustments in the times speed is reduced and where the zone is located there.
Some older signs were already replaced Friday, but Gatto said he expected workers to complete installing the new signs some time this week.
Ellwood City Council signed off on the changes, which were approved by PennDOT last month, but it took time for the signs to be ordered and placed. Once the new signs are up, motorists are warned borough police will be enforcing the adjusted zone, so drivers should pay attention to the changes.
PennDOT conducted a traffic study in the area on the recommendation of Lt. David Kingston, officer in charge of the borough police force, who was approached late last year by Ellwood City Area School District Superintendent Joseph Mancini about the need to review the safety zone.
Mancini said revisions were needed because the schools have changed their starting times since the original signs were installed and students no longer leave the high school for lunch. He added that the original zone included an area for students who attended Holy Redeemer Catholic School, which closed last year.
Mancini said the need to get the zone right is important for the safety of children. "There is a lot of speeding going down Fourth to Lawrence (Avenue)," he said.
Under the new PennDOT permit for the school zone, the 15 mph limit now will be in effect from 7:15 to 8 a.m. and from 2:15 to 3 p.m. weekdays, and a mid-day limit from 11 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. will be removed. This will more closely mirror when parents drop off their children and students are walking through the area, officials said.
The location of the zone also will be adjusted slightly. Signs will be removed from Third Street at Crescent and Lawrence and additional signs will be installed at Wayne Avenue and Fourth. The zones will run from Wayne to Bell Avenue on Fourth and from Vosler Way to Cherry Way on Crescent, according to PennDOT documents.
Mancini said he was pleased with the changes, but expressed disappointment that the borough did not ask for flashing lights in the zone as well. He said the lights would have caught more attention from motorists than just the signs.
However, Kingston said lights are not required by PennDOT in the zone and the borough is unwilling to spend the high cost of installing and maintaining the lights without district financial support.
Perry Elementary School does have school zone lights, Mancini noted.