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General
Communications Department Roster |
PRESS RELEASE
Belmont Police Department
NEWS RELEASE
Date: December 13, 2002 Contact: Lt. J. Peter Hoerr
For Immediate Release 617-484-1215 Ext. 121
Traffic Safety Improvements Coming at Belmont High School
Driver Cooperation Requested During Drop-off, Pick-up
Belmont, MA-- The selectmen, schools, and police have agreed on a plan to improve traffic safety at Belmont High School around the beginning and end of the school day. Additional signs will be posted and stricter procedures during drop-off and pick-up enforced starting in January of 2003.
Entering the high school access road will be made safer by means of two new stop signs, one stopping eastbound traffic on the access road at Underwood Street and the other stopping traffic leaving the high school parking lot through the eastern exit onto the access road.
Drivers are encouraged to drop off and pick up students in the rear of the high school by driving through the main parking lot and using the service road behind the school where students may use the school’s back door.
In front of the school motorists will find signs on the high school access road allowing student drop-off and pick-up only on the side of the road nearest the school. Motorists will not be permitted to leave their cars unattended there. Parking will still be prohibited on the side of the road away from the high school.
Drivers are also urged to pull to the curb on the access road and allow students to use only the right side of the car to get out or in directly at the curb. Passengers should not be discharged into the travel lane of the access road and motorists should not stop on the left side or in the middle of the street to let passengers in or out.
Another change will be that during the hours from 7 AM to 9 AM and 1:30 PM to 3 PM, no cars will be allowed to drive from the field house parking lot onto the service road that runs around the back of the high school. Do not enter signs will be posted to prevent this.
Especially during the initial weeks, police officers and a crossing guard will be present to encourage compliance with the new signs and procedures.
The policy was put together by Selectman Paul Solomon, High School Principal Foster Wright, and Sergeant Kenneth Hamilton of the police department’s traffic bureau.