Fast times Parking, traffic safety among concerns at New Glasgow Academy
Poor driving habits, haphazard parking near academy creating headaches
Eileen MacLeod didn’t want to be the person to complain about traffic problems in front of her home, but at this point something had to be said.
She told New Glasgow town council Tuesday that in the 21 years she has lived on Albert Street, she never had problems with people blocking her driveway or traffic concerns until New Glasgow Academy was built.
“We pay high taxes there, and I wonder why with what we are dealing with,” she said, adding that between drop-off and pickup times at the school people are parking illegally, making U-turns, speeding, and dropping off or picking up children in the middle of the street.
MacLeod said there is no place for the children to put garbage so the litter has increased along with discarded cigarettes butts.
“The street cleaner can’t do his job to clean the street because there is so much traffic,” she said.
It isn’t just weekdays either. Weekends and evenings, sporting events and other activities create the same problems that occur during the day.
She said at one point, she had to go into the school during an after-hours basketball game to find a parent to move his vehicle so she could get out of her driveway. Parents waiting to pick up their children at New Glasgow Academy Wednesday expressed similar frustration. One father said the problem is lack of parking, especially in the winter months when there are snow banks making the streets narrower.
He said staff is also taking up parking spaces on the street because there isn’t enough parking in the lot behind the school.
Crossing guard Alan Logan said he has seen parents arrive at the school as early as 2 p.m., an hour before dismissal, to get a legal parking spot to wait for their child.
“It’s horrible,” he said. “I see cars parked where they aren’t supposed to be. People speeding and now they are starting to go through my stop sign. People park where they want. It’s a cluster some days. I almost got hit yesterday.”
Mary Fast, who was waiting to pick up her daughter, said there have been some improvements in the past year, including more parking spots opening up along Lorne Street.
She said it is helpful if people can get into a routine when coming into the area so they are familiar with where to park or pick up their children. She added that the school might want to think about handouts for parents showing the parking spaces available and the proper flow of traffic. Const. Ken MacDonald of the New Glasgow Regional Police Service said there have been issues with traffic congestion and parking in the area since the school opened, but safety concerns are being addressed.
“We have had complaints of speeding, blocking driveways and people parked illegally and our officers come up and deal with those concerns because it becomes a safety issue for the students,” he said, adding that police have increased patrols in the area in response to the complaints. “We are looking at trying to accommodate the amount of traffic,” he said. “One of the key elements is patience, drive defensively and know when to cross the street.”
He said the speed limit is 30 km per hour when children are present, which includes when events such as a basketball game or a dance are taking place.
More designated parking spaces will be made along a side street and in front of the school, and signage will be added. Steps are also planned to make things easier for the buses.
However, he said, these measures won’t work if people refuse to obey the law.
He said speed bumps along Albert Street are not an option because they tear up the road too quickly during winter plowing and there are already enough crosswalks in place, which are in the proper locations.
Debbie Buott-Matheson, communications manager for Chignecto-Central Regional School Board, said there have been concerns addressed about this since the school opened, but the bottom line is that the rules of the road need to be followed.
“The ultimate solution would be to make it a one-way street, but we are not at that solution at this point. Not to criticize parents, but it can be a zoo up there in the morning, Parents are double parking, opening doors and letting kids run across the street. The school and school board have done all they can at this point and we are thankful for the police for their presence.”
She said motorists will continue to be educated in hopes the situation will eventually improve.
“We don’t want this to continue for residents because a school is part of the community. We don’t want there to be agitation and discord. It is a beautiful school and this seems to be a thorn in its side.”