TULSA, Okla — Just weeks after the City of Tulsa's traffic department fixed a long-standing community concern about drivers not knowing when they enter an active school zone on Garnett, new signs alerting them to school zone times were removed.
The school zone serves the Union 8th Grade Center and McAuliffe Elementary on Garnett between 61st and 71st Streets.
Drivers turning onto Garnett from side streets inside the school zone cannot see the flashing lights at the beginning and end of the zone on Garnett, which alert drivers to slow down.
Signs on the side streets just indicate that a school zone exists on Garnett, not when it is active.
Previous Coverage > > > Drivers want better signage when turning into school zones from side streets
Lauri Maurer thought it was "awesome and amazing" when the City added times the school zone is active to the sign at 67th and Garnett across from the Union 8th Grade Center after our September 4, 2024 story aired.
"I have thought they needed you know, a crossing section and a crossing guard in some fashion - a crossing light," she said, "to allow these children to be able to cross the street safely and that has never happened and so the only recourse we really have is just slowing down the drivers."
She contacted us dismayed when the signs disappeared in late October.
We contacted the City to ask why the signs were removed:
The traffic times were mistakenly put up at that location and have since been removed. Due to changing school schedules, we prefer to rely on lights rather than printed materials to indicate when school zones are active. As previously stated, the flashing school zone lights at this location meet Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) standards, and as part of those MUTCD standards, printed traffic times are not required.
Maurer would like the city to reconsider that position.
"It's not about the minimum of what the law requires you to do," she said. "It's about what is it gonna take to keep the kids safe with this high traffic street behind me with people speeding."
Contact the Problem Solvers:
- 918-748-1502
- problemsolvers@kjrh.com
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