While Dansville school students, parents and staff will notice a difference to its bus loop and parking lot when they head back to school this week, this arrangement is a temporary step to a larger solution.
“What we are attempting to do with this immediate work is to address safety concerns raised by [Pupil Transportation Safety Institute],” Superintendent Paul Alioto said.
The new design will help limit the potential dangers of personal vehicles, pedestrians and buses converging together. A specific student drop-off area is now designated close to the school. Passenger vehicles will be prohibited from entering the bus loop. Once students are dropped off, a fence between the bus loop and parking lot will direct pedestrian traffic to designated crosswalks.
For the beginning of the school year, staff, a newly-painted white line, a fence and “buses only” signs will help direct traffic flow to the drop-off areas. Parents are asked to “drop and go” to ease congestion.
In the past, drop-offs have occurred in the middle of the parking lot, causing students to walk between oncoming cars, parked cars and buses. Other drop-offs have been in the front of the primary and elementary schools, causing traffic congestion there. Those drop-off locations no longer exist. However, parents are asked to drop off primary students in the separate parking lot adjacent to the district offices.
LaBella Associates was awarded the bid to design a permanent overhaul of the parking lot and bus loop during the board’s Aug. 14 regular meeting. The district plans on having the design and budget finished in time for public vote in November or December.
If approved, the district would rely on reserve funds to offset the local tax share for the project. About 90 percent of the project would be funded through the state.
“We understand that we can’t put any more pressure on the taxpayers,” Alioto said about using reserves. “We also know that student safety comes even higher on the priority list than education, and we know that we have to do something about this parking lot. It’s been a problem for years.”
Included in the parking lot overhaul, the district is considering making some technology improvements and create opportunities for one-on-one wireless computing on campus. If approved, the bulk of the work would occur next summer.
While Dansville school students, parents and staff will notice a difference to its bus loop and parking lot when they head back to school this week, this arrangement is a temporary step to a larger solution.
“What we are attempting to do with this immediate work is to address safety concerns raised by [Pupil Transportation Safety Institute],” Superintendent Paul Alioto said.
The new design will help limit the potential dangers of personal vehicles, pedestrians and buses converging together. A specific student drop-off area is now designated close to the school. Passenger vehicles will be prohibited from entering the bus loop. Once students are dropped off, a fence between the bus loop and parking lot will direct pedestrian traffic to designated crosswalks.
For the beginning of the school year, staff, a newly-painted white line, a fence and “buses only” signs will help direct traffic flow to the drop-off areas. Parents are asked to “drop and go” to ease congestion.
In the past, drop-offs have occurred in the middle of the parking lot, causing students to walk between oncoming cars, parked cars and buses. Other drop-offs have been in the front of the primary and elementary schools, causing traffic congestion there. Those drop-off locations no longer exist. However, parents are asked to drop off primary students in the separate parking lot adjacent to the district offices.
LaBella Associates was awarded the bid to design a permanent overhaul of the parking lot and bus loop during the board’s Aug. 14 regular meeting. The district plans on having the design and budget finished in time for public vote in November or December.
If approved, the district would rely on reserve funds to offset the local tax share for the project. About 90 percent of the project would be funded through the state.
“We understand that we can’t put any more pressure on the taxpayers,” Alioto said about using reserves. “We also know that student safety comes even higher on the priority list than education, and we know that we have to do something about this parking lot. It’s been a problem for years.”
Included in the parking lot overhaul, the district is considering making some technology improvements and create opportunities for one-on-one wireless computing on campus. If approved, the bulk of the work would occur next summer.
