By Rodney Hays

Editor

Several local residents are concerned about the lack of flashing lights in the school zones in Prosper, especially the school zone at Rogers Middle School on Coit Road.

"I am extremely frustrated with the lack of flashing lights in our school zones and I have recently heard several people complaining about this same issue," said Catherine Dickey, via an e-mail to the Prosper Press. "When I am traveling North on Coit [Road] toward [U.S.] 380 at the posted speed limit of 45 miles per hour, how am I supposed to be able to read the small print on the school zone sign to know what the hours are for a 20 miles per hour speed limit?"

Another resident, Marcelle Johnson agrees.

"It is really hard to read the school signs to know when you are to go slow. In fact, trying to read the signs could be a safety issue!! Sometimes people need the flashing lights because you are so used to seeing the signs, you might bypass them without a glance," Johnson said.

The school zones lights are actually the responsibility of the Town, according to PISD Superintendent Drew Watkins.

Watkins said, "This really falls to the Town."

Other school districts like McKinney, Frisco and Denton do provide flashing lights for most school zones.

None of the current schools in PISD have flashing lights, including Baker Elementary School, which is in the McKinney's city limits.

Prosper ISD had flashing lights on Coleman Street and Broadway when the old Prosper High School (what will be Reynolds Middle School in the fall) and the original Prosper school building (most recently the Prosper Middle School) were open.

Watkins said he is in favor of the flashing light system.

"I am an advocate for a flashing light system to help make our commuters more aware," he said.

Prosper Town Manager Mike Land said the town is planning on installing flashing lights at the Rogers Middle School location, but the town wanted to wait until after construction on Coit Road. The Coit Road construction project is expected to begin this spring.

Land said he wasn't sure when the project would be completed and the flashing lights would be permanently installed. The flashing lights will cost about $10,000 for each school.

Dickey said she believes the flashing lights are needed for more than just Prosper residents.

"The purpose of flashing lights in school zones is so that everyone will know that it is time to slow down. I especially feel sorry for work trucks and people who don't live in our area who are visiting us or passing through. They have no idea what hours the slower speed limit is in effect and by the time they realize their mistake and slow down, the police are pulling them over."

According to Prosper Municipal Court records, 56 speeding citations have been issued since Sept. 1, 2009 in all school zones in Prosper. Court Clerk Amy Lightfoot was unable to tell exactly how many were issued in the RMS school zone.

Dickey's husband, Mark believes the school zones are dangerous in other ways as well.

"The school zone starts way in advance of the stop sign near the school (when heading north from U.S. 380 on Coit. This leads people to believe that it ends at the stop sign which obviously is not the case," Mark Dickey said. "Why doesn't it start at the stop sign would be my question to the City?"

He also said the traffic flow is restrictive during the school pick-up times because Coit Road is only two lanes.

"Parent's cars back-up on Coit waiting to turn into the school, which doesn't allow cars to move freely through the school zone. Also, the crossing guard is obscured by the backed up traffic once a car can move past the line. I can see her getting hit by a car because she is not prominent."

Catherine Dickey doesn't mind the school zones, she just wants to see a better warning system in place.

"I am totally on board with keeping our kids safe and I have no problem slowing down. I just think that there should be a better warning system in order to protect our kids and in fairness to the drivers."