Several motorists, who have been slowing down and potentially causing a collision, have been mistakenly identifying a section of Highway 22 in front of Westbrook School as a school zone.
Several motorists, who have been slowing down and potentially causing a collision, have been mistakenly identifying a section of Highway 22 in front of Westbrook School as a school zone.
In fact, the area in front of the K-8 school has been marked by Alberta Transportation as a school ‘area' not a school ‘zone', which means motorists do not need to slow down when passing through the section of highway.
Christine Wronko, communications spokesperson for Alberta Transportation, said the provincial government reviewed the area in front of the school in 2008 and determined that it would not be classified as a school zone with a reduced speed limit.
Wronko said that back in 2004 flashing lights were installed to notify motorists that they were approaching a school area, but the lights began to malfunction and were removed in 2009.
Current signage in the area notify drivers that they are approaching a school area and that school buses will be entering the highway, but there is no requirement to slow down.
The current speed limit on that section of Highway 22 is 100 km/hr.
Kathy Fenton, who owns and operates Fenton Bus Lines, which is contracted by Westbrook to transport students to and from the school, is concerned that motorists are confused by the signage.
“I'm not clear why they did it so suddenly, ” Fenton said of Alberta Transportation making the change from a school zone to school area. “It should be a speed-reduction zone. ”
Fenton said she has seen some near-accidents in front of Westbrook School, with some vehicles slowing down to speeds in the 30 km/hr range and others travelling at 100 km/hr (which is legal with it being a school area).
Both Fenton and Wronko noted that the reason the area is not a school zone is because there are no students walking or attempting to cross the highway during school hours. Students exit at the rear of the building, and the play area is also located in the back and nowhere near the highway.
Fenton said that in the past, all students were transported to and from the school by bus, but now, many parents choose to drive their children themselves, which adds to the amount of traffic attempting to get on and off an already-busy Highway 22 with vehicles travelling at high speeds.
Fenton said she believes the area should have a reduced speed limit of somewhere in the 60 km/hr range, adding that slowing to 30 km/hr on a busy highway could be dangerous.
Wronko said Alberta Transportation did not do any communication with area residents about the change from a school zone to school area, which could account for some of the confusion.
Wronko also said there are no plans from the government to review or change the area back to a school zone with a reduced speed limit.
School zones with speed limits of 30 km/hr are primarily a precaution against children aged five to 14, who, according to the City of Edmonton, have been identified as having the highest risk of pedestrian-related deaths.
Under ideal conditions, a vehicle travelling 50 km/hr needs 24-28 metres to come to a complete stop, while one moving 30 km/hr requires 11-13 metres. School zones in Cochrane run from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m.
