Elsmere Elementary students will find their walk to school to be a bit safer come fall, after the town instituted a new travel route.
Bethlehem officials petitioned the state Department of Transportation in order to change the route. The crosswalk in front of Elsmere Elementary will be removed before school starts in September, and students will now cross the road at the intersection of Delaware and Elsmere Avenue, and walk along the new sidewalk installed on Herrick Avenue.
“They know the route is a little bit longer, but we think it’s much safer,” said Bethlehem Supervisor John Clarkson.
The crosswalk in front of the school has been an issue for parents, students and school staff for years. In January 2013, the Elsmere PTA had a meeting with Clarkson, Police Chief Louis Corsi, town staff and school crossing guards Mary Root and Isabel Glastetter to discuss the matter. Some ideas included changing the speed limit and adding more signage and flashing lights for drivers.
*For the time being the speed limit will not change, but is still under consideration by the DOT depending on the results of a future traffic study. Most of the previous signage will stay, along with the flashing lights, and the new pedestrian safety measures were added when the lanes at the intersection were changed last year.
Clarkson had requested a change to the speed limit along Delaware Avenue, not only for safety reasons, but to be more consistent with the rest of the town. The speed limit is currently 40 mph along much of Delaware, and 30 mph in the school zone. However, it goes back up to 40 mph for a short distance before being lowered again once drivers get closer to the Four Corners.
DOT officials ultimately favored the plan that would change the route. The changes were paid for by the state, with the new sidewalk along Herrick partial funded through grants.
A meeting was held on Monday, Aug. 4, to notify parents of the change and allow them to speak on the matter. Reactions were to the plan were positive, since parents had been concerned about the safety of the crosswalk for years.
“We have been really pleased the town took it so seriously and found another option,” said Elsmere Principal Kate Kloss. “PTA volunteers will be available the first week of school to help students learn the new path.”
With the change, crossing guards will now be stationed at the Delaware Avenue intersection and at the new crosswalk installed on Herrick Avenue. Kloss said all elementary students are able to take the bus to school, but about 30 children out of 300 walk to school on a regular basis. The number increases when the weather is nice.
Bethlehem Central Superintendent Tom Douglas said in a statement that he was pleased with the town’s response and felt the new path would provide a safe route to school for students.
“While the new pattern is an improvement over the previous crosswalk, we would remind all parents that our bus transportation provides the best option for getting students safely to and from school,” said Douglas. “Reducing some of the car traffic in and out of Elsmere is one of the best ways we can ensure additional student safety on that busy stretch of road.”
Kloss said the school will be working on educating the students about the new route. Elsmere and many other elementary schools in the district also participated in National Walk to School Day, and pedestrian safety is part of the district’s physical education curriculum.
“We plan to do some additional follow-up with parents, but we think overall the change will work best for everyone involved,” said Kloss.
*An earlier version of this story stated the state DOT had opted against changing the speed limit, when the topic is still be discussed. Further changes have been made for clarification purposes.