Worried about student safety, parents took to social media this week to remind residents/drivers about using caution and reducing speed around Timber Ridge Elementary School at the corner of Snoqualmie Parkway and Swenson Drive.
The Snoqualmie Police Department is also reminding residents to expect to see them strictly enforcing school zone regulations. Choose to get impatient with students/parents in the crosswalk, or exceed 20mph, and SPD says there’s a good chance you’ll end up with a ticket which comes with a hefty fine.
From SPD via Facebook:
“As a reminder, the Snoqualmie Police Department will be continuing our focus in identifying traffic violators near Timber Ridge Elementary School to ensure that our students walking to and from school are safe. This will include an emphasis on stopping anyone who is traveling over the posted speed limit, failure to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk, traffic signal violations and unsafe turning movements.
Please be careful near ALL school zones to help keep our kids safe!
Thank you to all of you who obey the traffic laws; and for those who may not – we will be in the area to greet you.”
Reminder: the speed limit on Snoqualmie Parkway and Swenson Drive reduces to 20mph during school start and end times. Snoqualmie Parkway is normally 40mph so it’s important for drivers to remember, as it’s a big speed reduction and Timber Ridge is only in its second year of operation.
The long crosswalk is also heavily used when school starts and ends – and it can take a while for all those kids and the supervising crossing guard to get across. Drivers making turns onto the Parkway from Swenson Drive need to bring their patience, as student safety is paramount.
According to City Council Member Sean Sundwall, he is inquiring with city departments about ways to make the intersection as safe as possible for students. That could include some alterations to the light at the busy intersection.
Living Snoqualmie has also inquired with city officials about installing an additional school zone warning sign along Swenson Drive between the Bybee Street and Snoqualmie Parkway in the Deer Park neighborhood. City officials were receptive this idea.
We’ll keep you posted as more information becomes available.
Comments
A situation that’s sure to improve once the hotel’s complete and the drunks from the casino are driving up there in the morning to sleep it off.
IMHO we need to ban some of the worst offenders – heavy trucks just using the Parkway as a shortcut (eg. logging trucks). I personally had a friend killed by a load falling off a logging truck while walking on a sidewalk – similar road speed as the Parkway. Given the additional development along the Parkway and increasing heavy vehicle traffic (just stop and count the gravel trucks for a moment) this is an accident waiting to happen.