Village, school work to fix traffic problems

The Village recently donated a sign to Shaw Avenue School to help solve traffic porblems around the building. From left are Isaiah Ryan, Public Safety Director Tom DeSimone, David Fede, Trustee Dermond Thomas, Mayor Ed Fare, Assistant Principal Amy Pernick, Samantha Gipson, Janez Francis and Janice Francis.

Courtesy Barbara DeGrace

With more than 700 kids, it’s quite busy around Shaw Avenue School every morning. The traffic has gotten so bad around the District 30 elementary school, in fact, that parents and school officials have reached out to the village for help.

And the village has responded. The Public Safety Department recently purchased a portable sign to be placed on Shaw Avenue during student drop-off and pick-up times. The yellow and white reflective sign, which stands about four feet high, reminds motorists to yield to pedestrians.

“It’s to get the motorists’ attention,” said Public Safety Director Tom DeSimone. “It’s to get them to slow down.”

Back in October, village Trustee Dermond Thomas attended a Shaw Avenue PTA meeting and heard concerns from parents about the unsafe situation in front of the school. He brought those concerns back to other village officials, and members of Public Safety studied the situation.

Parents and school officials had numerous concerns. Some people were driving too fast. Others were stopping in the middle of the road to drop-off their children.

Some parents were doing what they were supposed to and dropping off their children in the traffic loop in front of the school. But then, they were making left turns onto Shaw Avenue, despite signs that prohibit making a left. “It’s dangerous and it’s illegal,” said past PTA President Margo McKenzie, who noted that parents have been raising the same safety concerns for years.

Principal Johane Ligonde echoed many of the same concerns, and noted that many people ignore the sign prohibiting left turns. “If people are not doing what they’re supposed to,” she said, “then it’s unsafe for our children.”

Ligonde also said despite there being two crossing guards on the street in the morning and afternoon, many children have been crossing Shaw Avenue in between the two. That’s where the new sign goes. The sign is portable so that school officials can put it out during the peak traffic times.

While a lot of students do walk to school, Ligonde estimates that at least 200 cars are dropping off children every morning. And it’s all done in a small window. The building opens at 8 a.m. and classes start at 8:30 a.m. but children are expected to be there by 8:15. That means a lot of cars are coming and going from the same place in a 15-minute span.

The afternoon is a little better, Ligonde said, as many students stay for after-school activities. That spreads the traffic out a little bit better, she said.

Shaw Avenue School is the largest elementary school in Valley Stream and also takes in the kindergarten students from Clear Stream Avenue School.

DeSimone, who met with school officials, said he was happy to help out the school. He said the sign cost $295 and was purchased from his department’s budget.

He said when manpower is available, Public Safety officers will continue to maintain a presence outside of Shaw Avenue before and after school. He said officers will enforce the traffic regulations and encourage people to slow down.

Thomas said the feedback he has gotten so far has been positive. “It seems to be making a difference,” he said of the sign. “It’s something that we’ll have to keep monitoring.”

Thomas added that he will remain in touch with leaders from the PTA to see if there is anything else the village can do to improve safety around the school.

McKenzie said she is grateful to the village for being responsive to the concerns. It has led to an improved traffic situation around the school. “There’s more work to do, but I see it has changed,” she said.