 - The Riverton City Council voted this week to declare a speed limit of 20 miles per hour during designated periods for the roadways surrounding Riverton High School.){kind=link}
(Riverton, WY) – The Riverton City Council voted this week to declare a speed limit of 20 miles per hour during designated periods for the roadways surrounding Riverton High School.
The designated school zone will begin at the intersection of Major Avenue and West Sunset Drive, continue west to College View Drive, then south to the southern edge of the RHS property, which ends at the alley across from the Neat Repeat thrift store.
A similar designation already exists along Major Avenue south of Sunset Drive to accommodate Riverton Middle School, city staff said.
Flashing lights
The idea for the school zone designation around RHS came from local parents, members of the Riverton Youth Council, and Fremont County School District 25, which has agreed to purchase the school zone speed limit warning system – including the flashing beacons, solar panels, batteries, electrical components, and signs, city staff said.
The school zone speed limit will only be enforced when the flashing lights are operating, staff noted, recommending that the beacons run during school hours.
When the lights aren’t flashing, the speed limit in the area will default to 30 mph, staff said.
RYC Member Tierney Faubion suggested that the lights could be activated during holidays like Halloween, too, when children are more likely to be out walking after dark.
“You could turn it on, and that way people can be like, ‘Oh, it’s 20 miles an hour and there’s kids walking around,’” she said. “That was just one of our other ideas that we had while this whole project is underway.”
The school zone designation “was kind of one of the first things that we brought up during one of our first meetings,” Faubion pointed out – so when Public Works Director Brendan Tolman visited the group recently to discuss the project, “(we) were very eager to affirm this,” RYC Member Kapri Miller said.
“As youth, we see this constantly on a firsthand basis,” Miller said. “A lot of middle schoolers and high schoolers cross the street right there, and a school zone would definitely make it so those kids and the surrounding property would all be safer.”
RYC Member Hunter Masters agreed that “having a school zone designated there would help – not only with students, but also the awareness of other drivers.”
After approving the school zone designation this week, Councilmember Karla Borders thanked the Youth Council members for their involvement in the project.
“They are amazing,” she said. “It’s great to see you here at the meetings and hear your input. It’s valuable.”
Another parent has requested that the city install more lights at the crosswalk that traverses Sunset Drive near Petersdorf Avenue – something that is “not hard to do,” Tolman added this week.
“City staff can take care of that … at a later date,” Tolman said. “I think staff will work with the school district just to light the sign on the crosswalk.”