Working to Make our Roads Around the School Safer and Less Congested


​Welcome to the home of the Traffic Safety Committee at Upper Lynn Elementary!
 
Our school is often experiencing high volumes of vehicles along Coleman Street (and adjacent streets) as students are being dropped off/ picked up. These roads are not designed for such high volumes of vehicles, and there are concerns for the safety of our students.  The Traffic Safety Committee is a group of volunteer parents dedicated to making the roads safer for our children by promoting safe and active school zones.  New members welcome anytime!  Contact [email protected] if you're interested in helping us.

What can you do?  Read on!

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Walk or Wheel to School

​We encourage walking or wheeling (bike, scooter, skateboard, etc.) to school to improve students’ concentration and overall health. If the walk is greater than you can manage; “Drive to 5”, which is driving a few blocks from school and allowing students the chance to get at least 5 minutes of fresh air and exercise.  Even just a little exercise before school can make learning more enjoyable for everyone. ​
Check out these tips from ICBC to teach your children to be SAFE PEDESTRIANS:
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 ​If you must drive, DRIVE SAFE! 
 
Check out these SCHOOL ZONE SAFETY TIPS for DRIVERS:

  • SLOW DOWN - it’s better to be a few minutes late than causing an unfortunate accident
  • Expect the unexpected! Be ready to yield to pedestrians at crosswalks, intersections, and even sometimes mid-block!
  • Let your child out on the sidewalk, not the roadside; have them use the crosswalk
  • When possible, arrange to drop/pickup your child a block or two from school to reduce congestion
  • Please read the signs!  Any curbs surrounding crosswalks are “no stopping at any time” zones. This is to keep pedestrians safe by allowing approaching drivers sufficient visibility to the crosswalk. They may be marked with yellow curbs, traffic cones, or road signs. 
  • Drop-off/pick-up zones are marked with road signs as “no parking” during posted school hours.  Etiquette: These are meant for quick stops.  Do not park here and walk your child into the school.  Please pull up to the front of the zone to allow for drivers behind you to safely and easily pull to the curb.
  • When you do locate a legal place to stop, pull your vehicle fully toward the curb (within 30 cm or 12 inches), so that through traffic can get past you safely
  • Avoid turning around in a driveway (backing into a roadway), which can be potentially dangerous for pedestrians and other vehicles - drive around the block instead
  • The school parking lot is for staff parking only.  As a parent or guardian, please don’t park, stop, or wait in your vehicle in the staff lot.​
  • Traffic Flow - During drop-off and pick-up please try to avoid turning left across the crosswalk from Nottingham onto Coleman.  Also, during icy or snowy conditions, consider Nottingham as a one-way heading south.  Traffic should approach the school from the east & west along Coleman, not northbound on Nottingham.
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Role of the Traffic Safety Committee
 
  • promote active transportation - safe and environmentally sustainable ways of getting to and from school
  • organize walk or wheel to school campaigns
  • address traffic safety issues relating to students arriving at and leaving school
  • liaise with the school administration, District of NV and/or School District to find solutions to traffic/pedestrian issues
  • provide content for the PAC newsletter on varied topics and reminders/promotions
  • manage ULE traffic cones (setup/storage schedule)
  • attend monthly North Shore Safety Council calls to discuss traffic safety issues/solutions across the region
 
Do you have good ideas? Creative solutions? Join us! email [email protected]