By. Marina Smith
“It was an ‘aha’ moment,” said Mike Lurie, social studies teacher at Springwater Trail High School, after attending a teaching conference that focused on authentic learning experiences. That conference inspired him to fix safety problems at the Palmquist and Fleming intersection where students and teachers exit and enter the school grounds.
The intersection is congested with cars that don’t yield to pedestrians. Complicating this further is the construction development promising a neighborhood crowded with occupants.
Students and teachers are collaborating on a solution that would provide safety for students going to and from school. The light would cost around 250 to 400 thousand dollars all together.
Aaron Ramsey, english teacher at Springwater Trail High School, said “there are many times when I’m pulling out that I’m kind of stuck in front of the stop sign, and there’s several cars behind me. I feel like I’m looking for a spot to pull out, and to sort of take a gap that doesn’t feel rushed, but traffic keeps coming and coming along Palmquist. I have to sort of take a gap that doesn’t feel completely safe to me.”
The ambiguity of the intersection is felt by students like Madelyn Bartels, who likes to ride her skateboard to school. At the intersection, the senior tried to lock eyes with a driver who failed to stop, look, and listen. Madelyn barely avoided an accident.
Students and teachers are collaborating to solve traffic congestion. Economics and leadership students are videotaping the intersection for analysis. Jakob Mohr and Arynne MacNamara have been recording over 60 minutes of traffic footage, including arrivals and dismissals of buses and cars from both Hogan Cedars Elementary School and Springwater Trail High School.
Parents at Hogan Cedars, which is down the street from the high school, have recorded testimonials, and the principal sent them a survey. These anecdotes are expected to shed light on the chaos created at this intersection. Students like Jakob are not afraid to get political to help solve the problem. He is relying on the mayor to introduce him to the City Planner and Project Coordinator.
At the meeting with city officials, funding options were discussed, such as a gas tax. Traffic and pedestrian volume are monitored with warrants, up to eight total, which could translate into state and federal funding to rebuild the intersection with safer infrastructure.
Hopefully when we all return to school in the fall, a solution will be underway.