NEW PALESTINE — A portion of U.S. 52 near New Palestine High School will soon become a school zone, after repeated concerns were raised about the dangers of students crossing the busy highway.
The decision by the Indiana Department of Transportation comes after a high school student was struck and seriously injured while crossing the road on his bicycle trying to get to school in the fall of 2019. While INDOT moved a crosswalk to ease congestion and added new signs, students haven’t heeded the safety measures. Many students cross the road wherever they can, bobbing in and out of traffic that must slow or stop unexpectedly, something the Daily Reporter showed in a story last week.
Since then, officials from INDOT announced they will lower the speed limit from 30 mph to 20 mph; add beacons with flashing lights; and add new school zone signs. The designated school zone will at least force traffic to slow down during designated times, officials said.
The changes can’t come soon enough for many parents. Some posted on social media on Monday, Aug. 30, that a child was almost struck in the area. The Daily Reporter was at NPHS when students let out Monday afternoon and observed some 40 or so students cross U.S. 52 at will, with only one using the crosswalk at Depot Street. There was no police or resource officer presence.
Several students crossed in front of a semi-trailer truck whose driver had to pump its brakes twice in order to stop.
After coordinating with school administrators, INDOT officials determined the best times for the school zone will be 7-8 a.m. and 2-3 p.m.
“All drivers will see a flashing sign with the 20 mph,” said INDOT communications director Mallory Duncan.
While Duncan said officials have not determined exactly where the school zone will start and end on U.S. 52, they will install “school zone ahead” signs in each direction for additional awareness as well as “end school zone” signs.
“This is standard signage for school zones,” Duncan said. “INDOT believes the school zone is an additional safety measure that will give a warning to drivers and remind them to slow down and look for students in the area.”
When asked why it took INDOT so long to make the road an official school zone, some two years after a serious accident, Duncan noted school zone speed limits are typically set at 25 mph. Since the speed limit in front of the school is already relatively slow — it is posted at 30 mph along that stretch of U.S. 52 — it did not trigger a need for a school zone, she said.
Usually in these circumstances, Duncan said, INDOT is more than willing to work with schools and cities if they feel they need a school zone, which is what happened over time in this situation.
“They reached out, and we agreed to put one in the area,” Duncan said.
The decision also comes amid a lawsuit that was filed by the child’s family. INDOT, the school district, the town and the driver whose vehicle was involved were named in the lawsuit. According to records, a partial settlement recently was reached.
District officials are grateful the area now will be designated a school zone.
“Slowing traffic down in front of New Palestine High School is a benefit to other drivers and pedestrians,” superintendent Lisa Lantrip said in an email to the Daily Reporter.
Still, Lantrip stressed, district officials believe the safest way for students to get to school each day is on one of the district buses or by car. However, they understand some students do walk or ride their bikes.
“One of the primary goals in the New Palestine High School renovation project has been to reduce traffic on U.S. 52,” Lantrip said.
Parents and students have been asked to enter campus from Gem Road on the west side of the campus or a new new entrance off Bittner Road to the east for drop-offs and pick-ups.
In a further effort to control traffic, district officials are also imploring parents to follow the posted car line procedures and to stop using other streets near the school for drop-off and pick-up. Many parents are still using nearby streets like Pierson Street, Church Street, or West Larrabee Street to drop off and pick up their children rather than wait in line and follow the proper procedures.
“Parents should not drop students off on the north side of NPHS or across U.S. 52,” Lantrip said. “These procedures exist to keep pedestrians, buses and drivers safe.”
While district officials are glad to see INDOT designate the school zone, town officials are waiting to see if the signs will make a difference.
Police chief Bob Ehle said while his office tries to have a presence on U.S. 52 during busy school times, it simply does not have the manpower to maintain oversight all the time.
“We get one call and I’m taken away from that entire patrol area,” Ehle said. “But, will we try? Absolutely.”
Town officials noted there are at least two police officers on duty during busy school rush-hour times and said at least one of them should be patrolling U.S. 52 as kids come and go.
Ehle noted once the school zone takes effect, he might have officers patrol the area more to make sure drivers are not speeding. But he thinks it would be best if the town or school district hired a part-time officer to oversee the problem area.
“We’d love to get some more SROs (school resource officers) to enforce those speeds, which is what they do over off of County Road 600W by the New Palestine Junior High and Sugar Creek Elementary,” Ehle said. Those areas are in the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department’s jurisdiction.
Another option could be adding a crossing guard.
Guards are in place elsewhere. The city of Greenfield, for example, pays for several crossing guards for schools. Superintendent Harold Olin said they have at least one crossing guard on busy streets near Weston, Harris and J.B. Stephens elementary schools as well as guards at Greenfield Intermediate School and Greenfield Central Junior High School.
Angie Fahrnow, a member of the New Palestine Town Council, said she plans to explore the possibility of adding a crossing guard on U.S. 52, particularly if students continue to cross at will all along the road rather than the designated crossing points.
“I’d say ‘yes,’ let’s look into getting a crossing guard out there, and I’ve requested we see more of a police presence there too, every single day during the beginning and end of school,” she said.
Fahrnow noted when looking back over old town documents that she found an old ordinance indicating the town paid for and used a crossing guard in the 1980s, but doesn’t know why the service stopped.
INDOT doesn’t yet have a timeline yet for the installation of the new school zone but hopes to get the signs and lights up as soon as possible, Duncan said.
