Politics & Government
Sumner Receives Traffic Grants to Improve Safety in School Zones
Sumner earned a state grant to pay for solar beacons in school zones.
New solar-powered flashing lights that remind drivers to slow down in school zones soon will make it safer for Sumner students to walk to school.
Sumner gained two grants totaling $33,750 from the state Traffic Safety Commission for nine flashing beacons. They’ll be installed in school zones by the end of the year, said Ted Hill, associate city engineer.
“We are really excited about any opportunity to improve pedestrian safety around our schools,” said Ann Cook, Sumner School District Communications Director. “The City of Sumner has been very instrumental in applying for grants to support safe walking to school… It’s unbelievable to have that kind of investment provided for our kids through a community partnership like this.”
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District schools in the city limits are , , and elementaries.
“In Sumner we have a good number of kids who walk to school,” Cook said. “It’s uniquely situated.”
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Almost all of the students who attend Maple Lawn Elementary, for example, are walkers, she said.
The beacons will be programmed via a GPS system to flash when kids are present, including drop-off and pick-up times, during school, during after-school activities and when special evening events occur.
“When something is flashing, people pay more attention,” said Hill. “Our police department approached us a while back and said a kid got clipped by a car near the high school. We’ve been looking into ways to improve lighting in school zones, but lighting is extremely expensive.”
Cook said the flashing beacons the city is installing will complement improvements the district is making on school properties when it undertakes capital projects to promote safe walking to school, such as improving pedestrian walkways.
Drivers are likely to benefit as well because the flashing lights serve as a reminder that can save them from getting tickets, Hill noted. Fines for speeding in school zones are doubled under state law. The speed limit in school zones drops to 20 mph when children are present. Hill said people often don’t realize that includes the school day when children aren’t actually visible.
“It’s interesting to watch -- traffic does respond to it,” Cook said. “There’s always a marked change in driver behavior.”