UP City Council OK’s New School Zone Near UP Elementary

The University Park City Council Tuesday approved an ordinance establishing a school zone near the Baltimore Drive and Amherst Avenue intersection for University Park Elementary. 

The school zone establishes a 20-mile-per-hour speed limit at the intersection from 7:15-8:30 a.m. and from 2:45 to 4:15 p.m. 

Specifically, the school zone would encompass 465 feet along Amherst and 465 feet along Baltimore, University Park Director of Public Works Jacob Speer said. 

Speer said the traffic engineer determined that the vehicular and pedestrian traffic levels warranted consideration of a school zone and crossing guard at the intersection. 

“Over the years, there have been a number of requests for some increased parking or traffic restrictions at that location. Most of the requests over the years have centered around a request for a four-way stop at that intersection,” he said. “Multiple engineering studies have been done and the intersection does not meet the warrants or criteria required to install a four-way stop. However, we looked most recently given the changes in the school district’s — the attendance zone boundaries — in this case specifically UP Elementary. We noticed an increase in pedestrian traffic.”

Speer said it’s not clear yet when the crossing guard will be available, but city staff is hoping for when students return from Christmas break. 

In other news:

• As workers wrapped up utility replacement work in the area, the city council OK’d removing the resident-only parking designation for the 3400 blocks of Rosedale and Daniel Avenues. As the work around Snider Plaza proceeds, though the city council also approved a resident-only parking for the 3400 block of Haynie Avenue west to Dickens Avenue. Construction on Daniel Avenue is expected to last between two and three months. 
• The city council approved allowing Mayor Tommy Stewart to appoint a committee consisting of residents and city staff to help develop a scope of work for potential design services with Gensler, an architecture, design, planning, and consulting firm, and review any proposed changes to building security features at City Hall.