Car seat check point

Car seat checkpoint July 18 - Oak Ridge, TN - The Oak Ridger
Source: oakridger.com

Stay Safer on Summer Adventures

Received this from a PTA newsletter - Good information

With summer's warmer weather and sunshine, your family is finding reasons to leave the house that was a cozy retreat all winter. As your family spends more time outside, take some time to remind your kids of ways to stay safer away from home:

* Teach your kids to ask you before leaving home and to stay with a friend whenever they're playing outside or walking anywhere.

* Talk to your children about how to locate help at theme parks, sports stadiums, shopping malls, and other public places. Identify those people who are safe to ask for help, such as law enforcement, security guards, and store clerks with name tags. Make it a point to practice each time you take a trip; quiz your children on the things they should look for.

* Teach your children that if anyone tries to grab them, they should make a scene and make every effort to get away by kicking, screaming, and resisting. Set up role-play situations at home to practice.

* Take a trip to the neighborhood playground. While there, check to make sure all the equipment is well-maintained, and talk to your children about how to play safely.

For resources on a variety of important safety topics, visit PTA.org's "Child Safety Events: How to Get Involved" page. Learn how to take action on the topics most relevant to your family.

posted by Michelle

A Not-so-Quick Update on Proposed Transportation Cuts

On April 20th, the ORSB passed their FY2010 budget. Of major note, they eliminated the originally proposed cuts of 6 TAs and transportation for a.m. preschool riders and the alternative school students. We actively pursued these reinstatements as discussed here and here and here. These were major victories for our children and our schools, but it left questions in our minds.

Just 3 business days prior, we questioned the transportation line item for contracted services (72710 312). The impact of the proposed cuts was not provided but the savings were stated to yield $107,489 (you may recall that the total savings for eliminating all students in the 1 mile walk zone was roughly $300K a few years ago); however the proposed new amount actually reflected an increase of $38,138. The initial explanation provided was that, to quote Ms. Gagliano, “it went up and then it went down.”

On April 15th, we submitted the questions listed at the end of this post to the ORSB and administration. To date, we have yet to receive a response. Instead, when it came time to approve the budget, funding suddenly became available to reinstate these transportation services, just as it did last year when they quickly scrapped their “bustodian” plan (proposed by the administration and highly scrutinized by the public) in favor of full reinstatement via contracted services.

Once again, the school administration failed to fully consider the impact the proposed transportation cuts would have on the students directly affected by them. While the explanation (to increase instructional time) for cutting am pre-school transportation was fairly valid, there was no real explanation for the alternative school transportation cuts except for Dr. Bailey stating that they are not required to provide transportation - only instruction. Mr. Green stated that the mandatory alternative school transportation was originally implemented in order to prevent co-mingling of those students with the general school population. No solution for preventing this from occurring was offered if they had implemented this particular cut.

When funding was suddenly available, instructional time, along with all of the other reasoning for the cuts became non-issues.

Questions were asked and were not answered. We will continue to hold this administration accountable when they make decisions that directly impact the safety of our children.

Unanswered Questions

What would be the consequences of the removal of AM preschool and full alternative school transportation?
Would students have a safe way to get to school?
Would there be increased participation by parents?
Were the parents/guardians of entering pre-school students questioned about their transportation needs?
Could cutting mandatory transportation for Alternative students pose an unnecessary safety risk to other HS students?
Will this deter our most vulnerable children from participating in a program designed specifically for them (the preschool)?
How will violent offenders be prevented from accessing the main campuses?”
Some of the causes of the contracted services portion of the transportation budget (line item 72710 312) to go up this line item appear to be, in part:

1. A 5% increase in the overall contract cost with First Student (increase of $45,837)
2. A large miscalculation by First Student on the actual cost of bus transportation to be provided to Oak Ridge Schools as described in the RFP (increase of how much?)
3. Removal of AM preschool transportation and alternative school transportation.

Could you list any other factors that affect the contracted services portion (line item 72710 312, only) of the transportation budget, please?
1. My understanding was that First Student could increase the price of contracted services by a total of 5% over the first 5 years of the contract. It appears that they have chosen to increase to the full 5% in the second year of the contract, is that correct? Does that also mean that the price for contracted services will not go up for the next 3 years? A 5% increase over last year's contract would mean an increase of $45,837.

2. I am concerned about the large miscalculation by First Student. After looking at the proposals that were submitted to the Oak Ridge Schools administration department, I would agree that First Student had the most thorough and detailed proposal. However, a large part of the decision on which company to use was determined by the proposed price. How does this correction make their proposal compare to the other two companies' proposals? It would be helpful to know how this new figure (contracted services from First Student) works out for the cost per bus per day. I would also like to know how many buses are used in this calculation and how many school days. Days that are not shared by all schools should have a lower cost since fewer buses are used.

3. When the Transportation Committee met last year, we predicted that the number of students riding the bus would go up. I believe that was one of the figures that justified the cost of contracting transportation services. I would like to know what the ridership numbers are so far this year. Based on the increased number of cars at the elementary school this year, I suspect that the ridership has, in fact, gone down.

Student Safety at Risk Once Again

There are many issues at stake in this year's school budget. For the sake of time, I want to bring one, in particular, to the forefront. That is the slated cuts of both the a.m. preschool bus routes and the a.m. and p.m. alternative school bus routes. I will attempt to provide more informatin in the coming days, but for now, please read below:

I want to make you aware of an issue that should concern you, especially if you have children who attend or will soon attend the OR High School. As you may recall, the alternative school was moved on to the main campus last year. One of the security measures put into place to prevent the co-mingling of those students with the general population was that of required bussing of alternative school students. That service is now slated as a budgetary cut that appears destined to pass in the school budget for FY10. In spite of a number of citizens voicing their concerns over this issue, the school board has rejected proposals (by abstaining from comment or action) to retain this service. This became abundantly clear tonight after a full week of discussion on the matter.

Please read my email below to understand more fully what is at stake. I have received no response from Mr. Green or the school board to date indicating that these concerns will be addressed prior to the finalization of the budget. If you share my concerns, feel free to forward this to anyone you would like. Time is of the essence as the final approval of the FY10 budget is scheduled for Monday at 5:30.

Most importantly, if you share these concerns, please voice your concerns to the Oak Ridge School Board. Their contact information can be found here:

http://www.ortn.edu/default.cfm?TargetSchoolMenuID=158&FromLevel=2

Thank you,

Trina Baughn

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Trina Baughn
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 11:55 AM
To: Smith, John W. Jr.; Dr. Bailey; ccarringer@ortn.edu; Mr. DiGrigorio; Mr. Fillauer; Mr. Green; Ms. Agle; Ms. Gagliano; Ms. Richter
Subject: Alternative School Safety

Mr. Green/Mr. Carringer,

As you know, the move of the alternative school to the main campus was a highly controversial one. At the time, as a parent of a high school student, I felt confident in the school’s ability to maintain a very strict divide between the alternative school students and the general high school population. Last night’s discussion, however, has given me cause for concern. I need not remind you or anyone else that there are students in that program who are in there for infractions directly related to violence.

Can you please elaborate on exactly how you will ensure that alternative school students will not co-mingle with the rest of the high school population before and after school if their transportation is cut? I fail to understand how a student can be prevented from accessing most areas of school grounds if they have the freedom to arrive and depart of their own means, especially since we have an open campus with no exterior security features or security guards. Given the state of our society, recent events in other systems, and the increasing trend of violence in schools, I feel that the issue warrants much greater scrutiny BEFORE a decision is made to cut this service.

Regards,

Trina Baughn

Robertsville/Illinois Crossing Guard Status

FYI. I'll post updates as responses are received.

From: Trina baughn
Sent: Friday, April 03, 2009 14:45
Subject: Crossing Guard Status @ RMS

Chief Beams,

I have not seen a crossing guard at the Robertsville/Illinois intersection for weeks now. This intersection remains heavily trafficked by both high school and middle school students from what I understand. Can you please advise on the status of this situation?

Regards,

Trina Baughn
_______________________________________
From: Beams, David [mailto:DBeams@cortn.org]
Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 9:41 AM
Subject: RE: Crossing Guard Status @ RMS

The crossing guard at that location quit. We have been interviewing and the new guard should be at work tomoorrow or Wednesday. Thanks


--------------------------------------------------
From: Trina baughn [mailto:bretrina@bellsouth.net]
Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 10:47 AM
Subject: RE: Crossing Guard Status @ RMS

That’s good to hear. Thanks for getting back with me. I noticed that there was no coverage when Don was gone and wondered if it wouldn’t be better to have just one officer instead of two at the HS/CC location so that the other could cover elsewhere when needed. Is there any policy or procedure in place for back-filling CG’s when they leave or are gone?

Free DNA LifePrint Child Safety Event in Oak Ridge March 28th

This is a John Walsh sponsored event that will take place on March 28th from 9:30-2:00 at Oak Ridge Chrysler Dodge Jeep Superstore @ 1005 OR Turnpike. Contact Howard Elliot at 482-7670 for further information. I would strongly advise doing so before going as there is no mention of appointments on the flyer I received.

According to the flyer, all services are completely free and information will not be data based – all records go home with the parents.

Flyer Details
(Reproduced from their website http://www.dna-lifeprint.com/index.html)

The DNA LifePrint Child Safety Event is brought to your hometown by the generosity of our National and Local Sponsors. The purpose of our program is to provide families with the most important tools they need to safeguard their loved ones – at no cost to them. A complete and accurate set of FBI Certified Biometric Fingerprints, a DNA Sample, a recent full color high quality photograph, and statistical information are critical for an investigator to track a missing child.

Our collaborative efforts in bringing this program to families, provides them with their DNA LifePrint Child Safety Profile:
Ten-Digit FBI Certified Biometric
Fingerprints
DNA Lifeprint Home Identification Kit.
A Full Color High Quality Digital Photograph
DNA LifePrint Child Safety Journal

Law enforcement studies have shown that time is critical in the safe recovery of a missing child. Our Program provides every vital tool parents need to have immediately ready for law
enforcement professionals in the event that their child becomes missing. Our child safety materials provide parents with easy-to-find and easy-to-use items that are crucial in aiding law enforcement officials in finding a missing child.

BIOMETRIC FINGERPRINTING
Biometrics is the newest and most advanced technology available today for obtaining fingerprints. We are privileged to be able to use the same equipment presently used by federal agencies, law enforcement, and the US military. Biometric technology allows for a clear and detailed image of the fingerprint. This prevents smudges and errors commonly found in the outdated ink format for taking prints. In addition, we can easily take the prints of young children – even infants - with our mobile and adjustable equipment.The FBI maintains only two national databases for identification: Fingerprints and DNA. A complete set of fingerprints and a DNA sample are crucial investigative tracking tools in the event of a missing child. The Biometric Fingerprints we provide parents are FBI Certified and are safety stored onto a disk. Therefore the Biometric Fingerprints taken at our events are in the correct and required format as defined by the FBI. The FBI Certification allows for immediate submission into the FBI National database with no delay, making them readily available to all law enforcement agencies throughout the United States.

DNA IDENTIFICATION KIT
The DNA Kit you will receive at your DNA LifePrint Child Safety Event is easy-to-use and is designed to be kept in the privacy and safety of your own home. Our DNA Kit storage method has been scientifically validated to protect the DNA sample from the many outside factors that can negatively affect it. Our product is CODIS compatible - CODIS is the FBI National Computer Database for DNA (C.O.D.I.S. – Combined DNA Index System). Together with your Biometric Fingerprints your family is now equipped with the two items needed for both FBI National Identification Databases.

HOW THE DNA SAMPLE AND BIOMETRIC FINGERPRINTS ARE UTILIZED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.
In the event of a missing child, one of the greatest leads law enforcement officials and investigators have is trace evidence. Trace evidence, in the event of a missing child, is any form of DNA or fingerprints found by investigators that provides evidence of the child’s presence. Hair, eyelashes, urine, sweat, saliva, and blood are all common forms of DNA Trace Evidence.
For example:Your child is abducted by an individual and taken by car to an unknown location, and then the abductor abandons the vehicle. When investigators find the abandoned vehicle, the procedure for law enforcement is to process the vehicle for DNA and fingerprints. With your child’s DNA LifePrint Safety Profile (DNA sample and Biometric Fingerprints) you can provide
law enforcement with your child’s information. With your child’s DNA sample and Biometric Fingerprints, law enforcement officials can then do a comparative analysis with their findings in the abandoned vehicle. If the findings of the comparative analysis results match the information of your child, law enforcement officials now know that your child was in that vehicle. This information is a substantial lead in their investigation – allowing them to begin an investigation on the vehicle and its history. Law enforcement officials would use their various investigative techniques, including entering all fingerprints and DNA found in the vehicle into both FBI National Databases, to direct their investigation to the quick and safe recovery of your missing
child.

DIGITAL HIGH QUALITY PHOTOGRAPH
Law enforcement must be supplied a recent full color high quality photograph of a missing child. The DNA LifePrint Child Safety Event provides parents with a full color high quality photograph of their child. The photograph is safely stored onto the same disk as the Biometric Fingerprints. Therefore, the photograph can be emailed to law enforcement and the news media for immediate use.

CHILD SAFETY JOURNAL
Similarly, in the event of a missing child, investigators will conduct several interviews with the child’s parents and/or guardians and other individuals with whom the child may have a close
relationship or bond. Our Child Safety Journal aids parents in noting the important facts investigators may look toward in their investigation. The questions found in our Child Safety Journal were developed directly by police officers and child safety experts. In a time of crisis, trying to determine the answers to some of the questions that may be posed by investigators may prove to be a difficult task. It is important for parents to sit with their children and answer the questions found in our Child Safety Journal –predefining these important facts significantly aids investigators in the quick and safe recovery of a missing child.

apology to Crossing Guard

Dear ORTP/ Ill. Crossing Guard,

We are deeply saddened to hear that you have resigned as a Crossing guard. We would like to apologize for any misunderstanding that has occurred concerning the LED vests we donated for optional use by the crossing guards. We apologize for not communicating that using these vests were at the discretion of each crossing guard.

First of all, thank you for sharing your concerns about the vests we purchased and donated. We appreciate and value your knowledge about this issue. It was never our intention to force you to wear the vest we donated and we are very upset to hear that you were “ordered” to do so.

We also did not intend for the donated vests to replace the vests that the city issued- only to be worn over the existing vests at times when added visibility was needed. There were concerns that the crossing guards were often difficult to see especially in the mornings when it is still dark and on rainy/foggy days and we felt the LED vests would help with that.

While the vests we donated do not meet all of the ANSI requirements they do exceed the visibility requirement which is 1000 ft. The visibility for the LED vests is 2500 ft. We did send the information about the LED vests to Chief Beams and Mr. O’Connor for their approval prior to ordering them and they said they would accept them. With their approval we assumed the LED vests would meet proper requirements. In addition, we were not aware that the city was ordering new vests at that time. Our goal has always been to improve safety for the crossing guards and especially the students and never to endanger anyone.

Again, we are very upset that you have chosen to resign and feel your service at Illinois and the turnpike is invaluable for the safety of those students who do cross there. We sincerely hope you will reconsider your decision for their sake.

Sincerely,

Michelle Doka
Trina Baughn
Laurie Paine
Miriam Pitz

PS: Should you reconsider, we will be glad to purchase for you the type of vest you mentioned in your comment on the blog.

ORHS/Civic Center Action Items

As concerned parents, we would like to clear up some confusion regarding the circumstances at the crosswalk between the high school and the civic center. The ORPD recently implemented changes in an attempt to address real and quantifiable dangers at this location. Consider the fact that 50-75 students use this crosswalk daily and that this section of the Turnpike experiences a large volume of traffic, especially before and after school. The 20mph school zone with flashing yellow lights was put in place only two years ago. Prior to this change, a student was struck by a moving vehicle and the city settled the matter outside of public purview.

Since the beginning of the school year, near misses of students and/or the crossing guard have occurred on a daily basis except when police have been present. Countless witnesses have reported these incidents to the ORPD and city staff. As publicly acknowledged by our police chief, poor visibility and irresponsible drivers are largely to blame. Though statistics are not available, it is clear that the change of the high school main entrance to the OR Turnpike this past fall has exacerbated the problem.

We first brought these issues to the attention of the city and the school board in mid-October, and the high school crossing guard has since shared her concerns with Chief Beams on a weekly basis. We have provided, below, an exhaustive list of the improvements that have been suggested along with the responses we have received.

Changes that have been or will be implemented

In response to a request to increase public awareness and enforcement of the speed zone and new pedestrian law, Mr. O’Connor stated during the Oct 20th city council meeting that the ORPD would start issuing citations. In a follow-up email this month, Chief Beams reported that 67 citations had been issued.

Shortly after the Oct 20th meeting, a request to increase the time of the high school crossing guard’s hours and the speed zone was granted, and both were extended to 4 in the afternoon. A flashlight was also provided to that same crossing guard.

Initially, Mr. O’Connor stated that there would be a single dedicated police officer starting Oct 27th to specifically direct traffic. However, police presence diminished almost entirely shortly after this change was made. Subsequently, in an email dated Jan 8th, Chief Beams stated: “Effective immediately the Police Department will have a police officer assigned to the Oak Ridge High School crossing location at the Civic Center during the school zone time in the morning and afternoon…As staffing permits, we may have additional units at the ORHS location for enforcement purposes.” Since this email, as many as 3 officers have been present at this location and as many as 2 more have frequently been spotted patrolling the high school area.

During the Oct 20th city council meeting, Mr. O’Connor committed to Ms. Miller that the city would set up the radar speed sign trailers to warn drivers approaching speed zone. However, technical problems prevented them from being set up until mid-January.

Another suggestion strongly endorsed by the Karns’ safety officer was to increase visibility with an LED Lit Stop Sign. This was conveyed to the city on Oct 16th, and, this month, the city ordered and provided one to the high school crossing guard.

Per Chief Beams’ email, dated January 8th, the ORPD ordered new reflective vests and caps for all the crossing guards. Prior to his email, citizens had also ordered new reflective vests with LED lights. These vests have been donated to the police department and are to be provided to the crossing guards.

In October, the city projected that red light and speed cameras would be implemented within 90 days. They plan to place one of each at the Tulane/OR Turnpike intersection. As of January, implementation efforts between the city, the vendor, and TDOT are ongoing. No definitive date for installation has been set, though the city expects that they will be operational shortly before the school year ends in April 2009.

Changes which have neither been acknowledged nor denied by local government

Reflective devices known as flashers were given to the Robertsville students who participated in the "Walk This Way" program last fall. We requested that students at Jefferson Middle School and the High School who walk or bike to school while it is still dark be provided these flashers; we have no knowledge of any schools providing these to their students.

The Karns’ safety officer who works between the middle and elementary schools highly recommended hiring a second crossing guard to assist from the opposite side of the street at the High School crossing. The cost of about $100 per week would be split between the city and schools. No response from the city or schools has been provided since we first proposed the idea in October.

Changes no longer under consideration by local government

It has been proposed by many that the schools re-route traffic leaving the high school parking lot to the exit at N. Tulane Ave, temporarily making the high school Turnpike access one way (only allowing traffic to enter) during school start and release times. According to emails between Dr. Bailey and Mr. O’Connor, the schools do not believe this to be a viable solution.

A request to TDOT was made around the start of school to install a speed table (aka speed bumps). As of this month, TDOT has denied the request to install speed tables on Oak Ridge Turnpike between the High School and Civic Center.

During the Oct 20th city council meeting, Ms. Smith inquired about moving the crosswalk to Tulane. Mr. O’Connor explained that kids will take a direct path before going out of their way to go to another crosswalk. Those headed for the civic center or library would be more likely to take the risk of crossing where they do now even if a crosswalk were absent.

Possible Permanent Solutions – but currently not under serious consideration

The installation of a traffic light has been inquired about since at least Oct 16th. Per Mr. O’Connor, the city has not pursued installing a traffic light at this particular location primarily because it comes with a $100K price tag. He also said that they would need TDOT to sign off on it if they chose to pursue it. In an email dated Nov 6th, he stated “There is no funding for a signal light so we will continue to use a police officer during the appropriate times.”

A pedestrian bridge between the high school and the civic center has been a topic of discussion for over a year now. Many citizens believe this would be the best permanent solution since it would provide safe passage not only for students, but also for citizens and visitors during city events. According to the city engineer’s December 2007 report, the cost to construct a bridge is roughly $1million. Neither the city nor the school indicates that they are pursuing this possibility further. However, both the mayor and the city manager have stated that they would welcome private funding if it were offered.

Finding a Way Forward

Until recently, Oak Ridge has been sorely lacking in its attention to the safety of student pedestrians, especially when compared to neighboring cities and many states, where fines are often doubled and tripled for motorist violations in a school zone. Much thought and attention have been given to the possible solutions and, thankfully, positive changes have occurred. However, there is still room for improvement and a strong desire for a permanent solution. It is our duty to remain vigilant, especially about our children.

We recognize the enormous tasks and constraints facing our local government and encourage their willingness to make student safety a priority. We, too, are concerned about the crime problem, here, in Oak Ridge. The presence of an officer to direct traffic during school zone hours has been the most effective help for pedestrians crossing safely. Additional officers are appreciated, but have not been requested nor promised. It is the duty of our police department to “Protect and Serve” our city which includes both deterring crime and reinforcing pedestrian and traffic safety. We believe both are possible when resources are distributed wisely.

We also acknowledge that you simply cannot please everyone even part of the time; but to those anonymous citizens as well as the more notable, please don’t project that we (and others) are hyper-sensitive without basis. We are aware of at least 3 students who have been victims of traffic accidents at crosswalks in recent years and actively educate ourselves on the dangers all of our children face. We will continue to work towards reducing their risks and we urge leaders and citizens alike to do so as well until reasonable, permanent solutions are achieved.

Miriam Pitz
Michelle Doka
Rhonda Ashburn
Laurie Paine
Trina Baughn

"A Matter of Safety"

Following is the link to the article in "The Oak Ridger" about the vest donation.

http://www.oakridger.com/localnews/x185286155/A-matter-of-safety

We enjoyed meeting with City Officials: Mayor Pro-temp Jane Miller, Chief Beams and Deputy Chief Massengill and the Crossing Guards who came also. We would like to express our continued gratitude to all of the Crossing Guards who serve our city.

Michelle Doka

New Vests Provided to Crossing Guards

Along with Mayor Pro Tem Miller, Chief Beams, and CPT Massengill, we presented new, LED lit vests to some of our crossing guards this afternoon. Thanks to all who contributed funds and special thanks to Michelle Doka for acquiring the vests and coordinating today's presentation!

*****Also note that a detailed summary of potential solutions and progress regarding the High School/Civic Center crossing situation is in the works and will be available soon.****

Solutions to Improve Visibility Issues

Several different factors have contributed to the many "near misses" that have taken place at the High School Crosswalk. One of them is a lack of visibility particularly for the Crossing Guard who is stationed there. There are several students who participate in the swimming program and cross over to the High School from the Civic Center in the mornings. It is still dark at this time and the Crossing Guard often has difficulty getting motorists attention when she needs to aid students in crossing. The city does give the Crossing Guards a safety vest with reflective tape, a flashlight, a hand held STOP sign ,and a wand to use in the line of duty. Yet, at times better visibility is still needed for all the Crossing Guards. We have found several things that would help with the visibility issue and they include: Reflective safety vests with flashing LED lights, hand held STOP signs with flashing LED lights, and reflective arm bands with LED "flashers" attached. Similar "flashers" were given to the Robertsville students who participated in the "Walk This Way" program there last fall. We would like for other students at Jefferson Middle School and the High School who walk or ride bikes to school while it is still dark to have these "flashers" as well.
As usual funding for these types of items is difficult to come by and who to ask for the funding is an ambiguous issue (the school administration or the city)??? After determining that the Police Department would accept these items as donations we, the Protect Oak Ridge Kids Moms, have ordered 8 of the vests to donate to the Police Dept to issue to the current Crossing Guards and one additional vest. We found the vests on Amazon.com for $14.99 each (reduced from $46.00 each). Needless to say we could not pass up this bargin! Individuals or businesses can contribute to the costs of the vests and the other items mentioned above. We would love for them all to be implemented! If you are interested in making a donation to this cause please e-mail us and we will give you information on how to do that.

Of course, visibility is NOT the only issue that needs addressing at the High School crossing area. A permanent solution such as a traffic light would greatly enhance safety at this location. The light would need to include left and right turn signals and enough time for students and pedestrians to cross there. And no, this would NOT eliminate the need for the School Crossing Guard!

In addition ,continued police presence in all of our school zones is a must to deter speeding. Responsible, safe driving practices of the motorists in our city are imperitive as well.


Sincerely,

Michelle Doka

Unresolved Issues

After reading this, it's obvious that the need for increased awareness and action is still ever-present and very much attainable. More voices, please. Contact your public officials and share your concerns.

Email sent today to City Council, City Manager, Chief of Police, OR School Board,etc.

Hello and Happy New Year! I understand that there was yet another near-miss of a student by a speeding motorist this morning. This news has prompted me to follow up on our previous discussions:

1. Is there still a police officer assigned to direct traffic on a daily basis and, if so, is he/she stationed there in both the morning and afternoons?

2. How many citations for speeding and other violations have been issued in this particular area since the start of the new school year?

3. Have the technical problems with the radar speed sign trailers been resolved? Has one ever been positioned in this area as agreed upon in the October 20th CC meeting?

4. Have you received a response from TDOT regarding your inquiry about implementing speed tables?

5. Has an exact or approximate date been established for the implementation of the speed and red light cameras?

Finally, has any consideration been given to the suggestions provided by the Karns safety officer, in the email I sent you on 10-16-08:

- Visibility for the crossing guard must be increased so that cars on the opposite side of the street can see her and stop in a safer amount of time. A second crossing guard, larger signage, and a lighted portable stop sign could all be of help.

Thank you for your continued attention to this matter and for making the safety of our city’s children a top priority.

Regards,

Trina Baughn

Walk This Way

The Oak Ridger ran this article today about Robertsville Middle School's participation in International Walk to School Month.

According to the article, "Walk This Way is a national program that highlights the benefits of walking to school while encouraging children and parents to be safe pedestrians." RMS principal Mike Baker and others took students out to the streets to demonstrate safe pedestrian practices, reinforcing lessons taught earlier this year in the classroom.

Our gratitude goes out to Mr. Baker who has been a leading proponent in keeping our children's safety a top priority this past year. He's worked at all levels to include preparing and submitting the application for the Safe Routes to School grant to dealing directly with our children on a very personal level every day.

And while much has been accomplished, as this quote demonstrates, there is still much that can and should be done:

"The RMS principal asked how many of the sixth-graders in his group cross that intersection on their way to or from school. About half a dozen students in the group raised their hands.

'How many of you feel safe doing that?'

Not one student raised his or her hand.

'How many of you are a little nervous when you do?'

Each of the half-dozen students acknowledged they are scared when crossing the busy intersection."

Let us not forget and succumb to complacency until our children can claim to live in the safest city in this state!

In Memory

May you continue to touch those who knew you and those whose lives you changed forever.

City Response to Today's Email

Mr. O'Connor's response to my questions (see previous post)came in within an hour of my email. We are truly blessed to have such responsive local government. Thanks Jim!

1. There is no funding for signal light so we will continue to use a Police Officer during the appropriate times.

2. I am not aware of any citations for this offence.

3. The speed signs have not yet been set in the school zone but will be in the near future. Due to technical problems the signs have not used recently anywhere in the City.

4. We have not received a response to the letter sent to Ms. Amanda Snowden with the Department of Transportation.

5. A exact date has not been set as of today.

Additional Follow Up with the City

Sent today to the city council, police chief, city manager and copied to the school board:

Hello! I wanted to follow up on some of the matters we’d discussed at the last city council meeting. I’ll keep it brief:

1. Regarding the police officer assigned to direct traffic – is this a permanent measure or will installing a traffic light be pursued?

2. Mr. O’Connor stated that the police would start issuing citations to increase public awareness/enforcement of speed zone and new pedestrian. Have any citations been issued for violations regarding the amendment to TCA Title 55, Chapter 8, Part 1 (motorists stopping at a crosswalk until it is cleared of pedestrians)?

3. Per Ms. Miller’s inquiry and Mr. O’Connor’s agreement, have the radar speed sign trailers been set up?

4. Has TDOT responded to the city’s inquiry (as requested by Mr. Hensley) about implementing speed tables?

5. Has an exact or approximate date been established for the implementation of the speed and red light cameras?

Thank you for keeping this issue as a priority. I look forward to your responses.

Regards,

Trina Baughn

Crossing Guard Appreciation

Many thanks to all who contributed donations in support of our crossing guards! All were delivered today and were very warmly received. We have some extraordinary people working to keep our kids safe and your generosity means a lot to not only them, but many others as well.

Throughout the school year, please continue to let Joy, John, Terri, Don, Ginger, Rhonda and Bobbie know that they are appreciated with your waves, smiles, and, most importantly, your vigilance.

City Council Response to HS/Civic Center Crossing Issues

At last night’s city council meeting, the city manager and council provided an update on the issues that citizens have voiced concerns about regarding the ORHS/Civic Center crosswalk. Mr. O’Connor explained that he met this past Friday with the ORSB chair, Mr. Smith and with the ORS Superintendent, Dr. Bailey. Corrective actions are as follows:

1. Implement a control mechanism to address traffic flow issues

Per Mr. O’Connor: There will be a police officer starting Monday (Oct 27th) to specifically direct traffic

2. Increase the visibility of the crossing guard

Also starting Monday, the ORPD will provide the ORHS/Civic Center crossing guard with a flashlight

3. Increase public awareness/enforcement of speed zone and new pedestrian law

Per Mr. O’Connor: They will start issuing citations

Ms. Miller asked about setting up the radar speed sign trailers to warn drivers approaching speed zone – Mr. O’Connor said they would do so

Mr. Hensley inquired about a request he’d made some weeks ago about speed tables. Mr. O’Connor said that they made the request to TDOT a few weeks ago. (Follow up needed)

Mr. O’Connor also said that the speed cameras should go up in about 90 days. The city plans to place both a speed camera and a RLC at Tulane/OR Turnpike intersection.

5. During school start and release times, temporarily make the high school Turnpike exit one way for entering traffic only. Exiting traffic could be re-routed to exit only at N. Tulane Ave.

Mr. O’Connor explained that re-routing exiting HS traffic is up to the schools. He emailed Dr. Bailey on October 21st to determine if the schools were open to the idea.

Other issues discussed:

Per Mayor Beehan, a pedestrian bridge would cost about $3 million. He and the city manager both stated that they would welcome private funding if it were offered.

Per Mr. O’Connor, they have not pursued installing a red light at this particular intersection primarily because it comes with a $100K price tag. He also said that they would need TDOT to sign off on it if they chose to pursue it.

Ms. Smith inquired about moving the crosswalk to Tulane. Mr. O’Connor explained that kids will take a direct path before going out of their way to go to another crosswalk. Those headed for the civic center or library would be more likely to take the risk of crossing where they do now even if a crosswalk were absent.

All in all, it was a very informative discussion and I was very pleased at the level of activity that has occurred since last week and at the level of participation of council.

ORHS/Civic Center Crossing Follow Up

The following was submitted to city council, the chief of police and the city manager on 10-16-08:

I appreciate that Chief Beams has responded to citizen concerns over the crosswalk at the high school and civic center. I understand that the time has been lengthened for the school zone and that the crossing guard’s hours have been extended. However, after standing out there with her yesterday, I realized just how dangerous her situation was and that these measures do not even come close to correcting the matter.

The Situation

During the hour after school let out, the entire area was in complete chaos and posed an extreme danger to every pedestrian and motorist who passed through. The number of children who cross at this crosswalk is much greater than even I suspected. I couldn’t count them all but it easily exceeded 50, reaching possibly 75, students. To their credit, these kids were very attentive and respectful of our crossing guard and of traffic. Until as late as 1 hour and 10 minutes after school dismissal, children crossed both to and from the civic center. At the same time, a large volume of motorists were attempting to exit the school into the 4 lanes of Turnpike traffic while some motorists were trying to enter the high school parking lot. Furthermore, the number of cars exceeding the speed limit of 20mph (which was in effect until at least 2:30 yesterday) was incalculable. Rhonda told me that things actually weren’t nearly as chaotic as they normally are (between 2:50-4:00) since it was a Wednesday with earlier dismissal than the 3:30 plant employee release.

Because of the design of this area, the volume of pedestrian and motorist traffic and because there is no traffic signal, motorists exiting the school must wait a good while to merge onto the Turnpike. Most of the time, they have to rely on the courtesy of drivers and pedestrians before doing so. The high level of uncertainty and ambiguity undoubtedly contributes to an overall anxiety by drivers who often make risky (and many times illegal) moves to get out.

There was a police officer in the area – at first stationed facing oncoming traffic and later patrolling the area. In our discussion he told me that he had not heard of the bill recently passed into law that “requires the driver of a motor vehicle in a marked school zone when warning flashers are in operation to stop to yield the right of way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a marked crosswalk: the driver must remain stopped until the pedestrian has crossed the roadway on which the vehicle has stopped – Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 8, Part 1

Nearly every time the crossing guard assisted children across this street, I observed cars from both the high school exit as well as in all 4 lanes of the Turnpike driving through the crosswalk while she and the children were still in it. Many times these cars came within only a few feet of them.

A Tale of Two Crossing Guards

I went by and talked with the OR Hwy Karns crossing guard today. The situation there is similar to ours in that there is a major thoroughfare next to a middle and elementary school and is heavily travelled by not only local traffic, but many non-residents as well. There are also 3 major school exits that feed onto OR Hwy. The similarities end there. They have a pedestrian bridge that is used by about 40 children in the mornings and afternoons. Ironically, no children actually cross OR Hwy yet they have a crossing guard who has a very well lit stop sign, wears a police uniform and has the word “Sheriff” emblazoned on her neon yellow vest. Actually, she’s not a crossing guard, rather a safety officer. The difference is that she is empowered to direct traffic and is bonded by the sheriff’s department. Another major difference in their situation is that where we have four lanes of traffic with a center turn lane, they only have two. They obviously have a dangerous situation, but it is much less severe in design and flow and is alleviated with greater precautionary measures.

Considerations

The Karns safety officer is somewhat aware of our situation and offered some excellent suggestions. Most immediately, she said that we should get a police officer out there every day to both scan for speeders and assist with traffic flow. She also said that because we have four lanes, it is impossible for one crossing guard to safely and effectively assist the children. She recommended a second crossing guard (to remain on the opposite side of the roadway) to assist with crossing the children.

I understand that our city engineer and chief of police have seen the situation first hand. What, if any, other recommendations do they have? Have any of the following been considered?

1. A control mechanism, be it a police officer or red light, is desperately needed to address the traffic flow issues inherent to the design of this intersection.

2. Visibility for the crossing guard must be increased so that cars on the opposite side of the street can see her and stop in a safer amount of time. A second crossing guard, larger signage, and a lighted portable stop sign could all be of help.

3. Public awareness of the situation and the law should be paramount – if the police aren’t knowledgeable of the law, how can they begin to educate and enforce?

4. Enforcement of the speed zone and the aforementioned, newly-passed law need to be enforced immediately and consistently

5. During school start and release times, temporarily make the high school Turnpike exit one way for entering traffic only. Exiting traffic could be re-routed to exit only at N. Tulane Ave.

Sincerely,

Trina Baughn

LTEs/Gov't Correspondence RE: High School/Civic Center Crossing

The following was submitted to the city and copied to the school board on 10-6-08 and ran in the Oak Ridger (along with another letter) on 10-15-08.

All: In an effort to heighten public awareness, the following has also been submitted to the Oak Ridger. Though addressed directly to the city, any and all feedback is appreciated as I would like to present a follow up letter to the Oak Ridger with your responses.

Council/Mr. O’Connor/Chief Beams,

I would like to thank you all again for your continued efforts in minimizing the risks our children face in their commutes to and from school. I would also like to express my sincerest gratitude to all of the crossing guards who have braved taking on such a dangerous job with enthusiasm and heart-felt concern for our children’s safety. Undoubtedly, without their commitment and perseverance, I know that many of our children would still be in harm’s way.

While much progress has been made, there are some serious issues that still need to be addressed. Most pressing, as expressed by Ms. Ashburn and Ms. Kadas in their letters to the editor (found here and here) is that it is apparent that our children and crossing guards are still in danger because of the many motorists who continue to show disregard for safety and the law even when a crossing guard is present and the school zone is in effect. At the Turnpike crosswalk across from the high school main entrance, these dangers appear to increase after the crossing guard’s shift has ended because foot traffic to the civic center and the library remains steady with students who participate in extra-curricular activities traversing that route.

In addition to her comments in her letter to the editor, Ms. Ashburn has shared the following (paraphrased):

- One day last week when she was signaling one car to turn left into the parking lot, another car going west bound had to slam on the brakes because the driver wasn’t paying attention and barely stopped.
- There have been several near misses like that and she would feel terrible if an accident happened
- Her main concern is for those kids having to cross there especially when she is NOT there after her regular time. The speed limit is only reduced for 30 minutes and then it goes back up even while she is there and that is when it becomes more dangerous and many kids are still crossing at that time
- She said she is willing to stay later if the city would allow her and has made her concerns known to her superiors

Further supporting Ms. Ashburn’s concerns, I’ve heard of a number of near-misses and chaotic scenes including from someone who witnessed a near- miss of Ms. Ashburn just last week by a pick up truck who’d apparently been speeding so fast that he almost hit her. Because our crossing guards are limited in that they cannot direct traffic and because such incidents have become too frequent, these matters need to be addressed immediately. Since school began, has the city returned to observe all of the crossing guard stations for remaining safety issues, levels of traffic, and the effectiveness of changes made since last year? What other steps has the city taken to address these matters? Also, at a cost to the city of $4 an hour, will the city take Ms. Ashburn up on her offer to work later?

Regards,

Trina Baughn

Key to Retention - Let Them Know They Are Appreciated!

It is time again to let our Crossing Guards know how much we appreciate their services to Oak Ridge students. We are currently collecting baked goods, hand warmers, hot drink packets, lip balm, etc… to give to them. We are also having the students who use their services sign Thank you cards to give to them with these other things. We are appealing to members of the community to help out with this. If you would like to and are willing to donate something for this endeavor please let us know. We plan to give these items to the Crossing Guards right before the Fall break.

Thanks so much for your help with this!

Sincerely,

Michelle Doka
Laurie Paine
Miriam Pitz
Trina Baughn

National Child Passenger Safety Week

...is next week. This Oak Ridger article contains some good reminders about child safety; I would add that it is best to continue having children ride in the back seat long after they’ve outgrown booster seats. It was the law in Germany and we continued the practice upon our return to the states. The additional barrier provided by the front seat and the added distance from the front windshield are reasons enough to believe that it is just simply safer.

Of course, they’ll still need to wear their seatbelts or something like this could happen. (The link is to a British PSA from over 10 years ago that left a most lasting impression on me and is not for the faint of heart.)

Yellow Means Slow Down (and it always has)

The city is moving forward with implementing red light cameras, but people are still wailing at the supposed injustice of it all. Given all the media coverage of this one little issue, one might think that our very livelihood hung in the balance.

For months, the counter-arguments flew. At first, it was all about the fear of “Big Brother.” When council didn’t buy that, pointing out that we pretty much live in the age of video cameras, the argument shifted to the increased potential for rear-end collisions. Council responded by promising to maintain control over yellow light duration. Then they claimed that it was all about money – “It’s a waste of taxpayer money! It’s a gold-digging effort!” At an implementation cost of nil and with RedFlex getting most of the $50-a-ticket revenue, council didn’t buy that either. Personally, I hope the city does make some money off the deal. Then maybe they can use it to meet the many other safety concerns that need to be addressed.

“It’s a knee-jerk reaction,” they said. Baloney. Council has been entertaining this idea since November of last year. “The problem of red light runners and speeders is non existent.” Again, total crap. The city may not have provided significant data to prove this, but they really didn’t have to. I see the problem on a daily basis. Those who’ve screamed that argument must not ever drive in Oak Ridge; that, or they are blind and probably shouldn’t be driving in the first place. And then there’s my favorite – RLC’s will deter people from shopping here and our city will just continue to deteriorate. What a crock. People go where they need to go to get what they need to get. Period.

So many people rallied against this measure. Early on, an organized group of probably dozens of folks began the battle cry. While some of their concerns had some merit, their repeated statements that “most Oak Ridgers don’t want this” and “it’s time to oust our elected officials” are absolutely ludicrous. You don’t speak for me and you can’t convince me that 14,000 citizens made their voices heard on this matter – not in this town.

Tell me this: Where were all of these people last year? Why weren’t they demanding increased safety measures when it became clear that our children were in danger? How many of them signed up to work as crossing guards? Was it that much more important to fight for the protection of law-breakers rather than for the protection of our kids?

Red light cameras are coming. Slow down, drive safely and get over it!

School Resumes City-Wide Tomorrow

The 2008/2009 school year in Oak Ridge fully resumes tomorrow and, thankfully, our children will have safer travels to and from school than they did just a year ago. Equal access to transportation for all students, crossing guards, better street markings and signage, and more attentive motorists will undoubtedly result in the risk reduction for which so many of us have worked.

Notes of Interest:

Check the bus schedule (found here). Even if your children won’t be riding the bus, you’ll want to be aware of the new stops that may be at or near your home since more children will converge at pick up points rather than remaining in front of their own homes.

Some children will still walk, so slow down and be alert. Foot traffic is particularly high between the high school and the Civic Center and with the new main entrance of the high school having been moved to the turnpike, motor traffic will likely be higher as well. New markings and signs are in place at the Illinois/Turnpike intersection showing where cars should stop for pedestrian crossings. Please be especially alert at interesections and other areas where children cross.

Our bus drivers are now REQUIRED to drive 5mph below the speed limit. They'll also be driving new routes. Please be patient with them and keep in mind that SAFETY is their priority.

Finally, tomorrow night’s city council meeting will include further discussion/action on the Red Light Camera issue. Whatever side of the issue you stand, it is important to make your voice heard. Better decisions are made with citizen input.

Crossing Guards for 08/09 School Year

Although the discussion on crossing guards during the last city council meeting did not occur as I'd announced, I have some news on that front. According to the city manager, the city has decided to place 2 crossing guards at WillowBrook starting next week. The decision of where to place others has yet to be made, but hopefully they will not take a “wait and see” approach; rather, they should have them in place day one.

If you agree, you know what to do:
City Manager Jim O'Connor JOConnor@cortn.org 425.3550
Chief of Police David Beams dbeams@cortn.org 425.3506
City Council Mayor Tom Beehan 483.4644
Willie Golden 482.4630
Tom Hayes 483.3350
Charlie Hensley 482.6536
Jane Miller 482.9727
David Mosby 482.4193
Ellen Smith 483.3068
Email all

Positive Report

I’ve heard from one of our long-time drivers some great things about First Student’s safety practices. The report is from this driver having gone through some of their training already and it sounds as though they greatly exceed our school system's previous standards. One example was that 2 traffic violations on one’s personal record is grounds for immediate termination. Another is that FS requires that they drive 5 mph BELOW the speed limit. And the most impressive to me was an emphasis on safety above all else, even if it means that they will arrive late to their destination.

They also use technology that, from the sounds of it, is about as reliable as it gets in terms of ensuring driver’s conduct the required safety checks each and every time.

**********************************
I’ve also been told that the city manager will address the future of our crossing guards with council at the next monthly meeting on July 21st. At question are the number who will be retained and where they will be placed.

Random Seven Meme

The Rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog. deichmans

2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. (See below)

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs. I just don't know 7 others who've not already been tagged, so 2 it is.

Ellen
Bo
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
5. Present an image of martial discord from whatever period or situation you'd like. (see above - courage in its purest form)

7 facts - they are about as random as they come.

1. My biological children are 12 years apart which means that the year after my firstborn graduates, my second born will start kindergarten.

2. I HATE feet. To torture me, all that my husband has to do is threaten to touch me with his toes and I go berserk.

3. It took me 5 years to complete my bachelor’s degree, but I completed the last 2 years in one year’s time. All done while working full time, married to a military spouse and raising a young child with no family in the country to assist. I also managed to pay less than $4,000 out of pocket for the entire program due to scholarships, grants and testing out.

4. The dumbest thing I ever did was to turn into the oncoming traffic lane after a last minute change of mind from making a left turn at an intersection. I was about 17 years old on a major 4 lane thoroughfare in town driving a boat of a car (1980’s Mercury Cougar.) Fortunately, there were no cars coming so I quickly turned into a driveway on the left side. Unfortunately, the driveway was straddled by an 8 foot brick wall which completely obscured my ability to see, so I had to chance it and punch it into reverse to get out. Somehow, I made it out unscathed.

5. My ultimate retirement dream is to live in Scotland 6 months out of every year.

6. The strangest thing I ever saw was in downtown Barcelona. While stuck in traffic on a bus in the middle of town, my husband and I watched (for what seemed like an hour) a lady in the park messing around with an old newspaper. The culmination of her efforts was that she put it to use in a most, er um, imaginative way. The story itself cannot be fully appreciated without the entire context of the situation; but trust me, it would have won the grand prize on AFV if we’d had a video camera.

7. I used cloth diapers on both of my children. Not for terribly long, but I did more than a handful of loads of laundry in just diapers.

An Alternative Solution to Red Light Cameras?

I've already stated my opinions in various places on Red Light Cameras including here. Maybe, though, this would prove to be a better alternative. Thanks to the anonymous sender of this hilarious clip!

The Case for Crossing Guard Retention

The following was sent to the OR City Council, manager, chief of police, the OR School Board and all OR school principals:

Chief Beams,

At least 3 different times this week I’ve noticed that crossing guards were absent (during the appropriate times) at the ORTP/Civic Center and Willow Brook posts. Can you tell me if we still have all 7 posts filled?

Also, I understand that the city may consider reducing or eliminating these positions once transportation is fully reinstated. I encourage the city to retain all of our crossing guards for the next school year due to the following:

1. The cost is minimal considering the value that they bring to our city.
2. There will ALWAYS be children who choose to walk or ride their bikes – this is especially true of many high-schoolers who go to the civic center/library every day after school. You also have to consider that some children miss the bus on occasion and/or are suspended from riding on occasion.
3. The presence of our crossing guards has less tangible benefits like deterring drug trafficking (as one pointed out was occurring until the offenders noticed her watching them) and reinforcing this city’s commitment to our children’s safety.

Should you re-evaluate and find that certain spots yield little to no traffic, please consider other areas that may have higher foot traffic.

Finally, eliminating the crossing guards would undermine the very work that the city and the schools have jointly done in pursuing the Safe Routes grant; thus, possibly jeopardizing our chances of being awarded the funding that it could bring.

Regards,

Trina

MAJOR PROGRESS!!!!!

BUSES
We’ve seen some major progress these past few weeks, not the least of which is the ORSB’s vote to fully reinstate transportation via a contractor. A lot of hard work by many individual citizens as well as school officials went into this decision and the end result means that all of our children will have access to school bus transportation. The contract must still be fully negotiated, but I feel confident that we’ve reached a conclusion on the matter for the time being. I’ll attempt to post pertinent meetings as I know about them and I encourage all Oak Ridgers to remain informed and involved WRT this particular issue.

CROSSING GUARDS
The city has indicated that it may re-evaluate the need for crossing guards if transportation were fully reinstated. I can understand the temptation given that the foot traffic at some posts is already sparse. But I would encourage council to retain them for the following reasons:

1. The cost is nominal with the schools paying half (if memory serves correctly, each side is paying about $10K annually for a total of 7 crossing guards)

2. There will ALWAYS be children who choose to walk or ride their bikes – this is especially true of many high-schoolers who go to the civic center/library every day after school.

3. The presence of our crossing guards has less tangible benefits like deterring drug trafficking (as one pointed out was occurring until the offenders noticed her watching them) and reinforcing this city’s commitment to our children’s safety.

RED LIGHT CAMERAS
While council has moved to allow cameras, they are still in the evaluation stages of determining whether or not Oak Ridge will get them. There is now a group that is opposing such a change. Given my first-hand experience (described here), I have no doubt that both red light and speed cameras would benefit our city’s pedestrians as well as motorists.

I encourage all citizens to learn more and contribute to the dialogue that has already occurred here, here, and here.

You can read more about upcoming meetings on Ellen’s blog.

STATE EFFORTS
I’ll post an update on the 5 pieces of legislation that Rep Hackworth and Sen McNally introduced later this week. But you can check on them for yourselves via the information here.

Transportation Update

On April 10th, with little more than 45 minutes worth of discussion, the Oak Ridge School Board voted unanimously to adopt Dr. Bailey’s proposed budget. Contained within this proposal is a huge change to transportation that will hopefully provide equal access to all children for bus service. I emphasize hopefully because, at this point, it is far from a done deal.

My position remains unchanged that crossing guards and equal access for all children to transportation are the two most important and effective actions that will protect the most children en route to and from school. And while it may seem that we are on the verge of finally achieving the second of these goals, I have serious concerns about the manner in which the transportation issue has been handled. These concerns give me cause to doubt that the safest, most beneficial solution will be attained.

I’ll explain as briefly as I can. For the last couple of months, a number of concerned citizens have attempted to work with the schools to not only understand the budget constraints they claim but also to work towards the common goal of providing bus service for all. Questions were posed to the school business director, the superintendent and the board. Many were answered; however, many were not.

Several involved, intelligent individuals have pointed out the mathematical flaws in the school’s budgeting practices – be it from the supposed $300K savings they claimed last year, but never explained or from the discrepancies on seemingly simple things like the number of buses they have or the amount of drivers they would need to implement consolidated routes. It’s no wonder the press has gotten so many facts wrong, when even those of us so intimately involved can’t get straight answers.

Some of these citizens participated in the transportation committee commissioned by Bailey. Unfortunately, as a few of us suspected, this appears to have been a wasted effort used as a stalling tactic. Since, instead of allowing this committee (50% of whom were school employees or officials) to develop and propose a plan, school officials presented them with plans and stifled members whenever hard questions were posed.

In the end, with less than 24 hours notice to the committee, the schools changed direction by foregoing the bustodian plan and opting for contracting the services out instead. This option was proposed to the board before adequate time was provided for consideration, no less a vote, by the committee and was subsequently accepted as a part of the proposed budget without any real data to support the cost savings so highly touted.

So, here we are a year later and the schools are still trying to shirk responsibility by avoiding full disclosure and by attempting to pass transportation on to a contractor which will be virtually impossible to hold accountable. All in the name of supposed savings and, in spite of overwhelming public outcry to make our children’s safety a bigger priority. Given their past and present actions, I have little faith that they are acting in the best interest of our children. I hope I’m wrong.

For those who are interested, multiple bids are due in by April 23rd. There will then be a meeting on the proposal(s) on April 30th in the School Administration Building from 4:00-6:00p.m.

Update on Proposed Legislation

It’s not too late to voice your support to your representatives!

HB2653 by Hackworth (SB3077 by McNally) passed the house unanimously and has moved to the Senate. As of today, the status listed is: Placed on S. Trans Comm. cal. for 04/02/2008

The remaining 4 bills (discussed in further detail here), are seeing some action tomorrow.

HB2656 by Hackworth (SB3203 by McNally)
Placed on s/c cal Public Safety & Rural Roads of TR for 04/01/2008

HB2649 by Hackworth (SB3079 by McNally)
Placed on s/c cal K-12 of ED for 04/01/2008

HB2556 by Hackworth (SB3081 by McNally)
Placed on s/c cal K-12 of ED for 04/01/2008

HB2651 by Hackworth (SB3080 by McNally)
Placed on s/c cal K-12 of ED for 04/01/2008

House Bill 2653 Goes to Floor This Week

Government in action - Rep. Hackworth sent me the following, which I believe will be published in this week's local paper. I have a more personal stake in seeing this one through given that it has a direct tie to what led to the end of my crossing guard days

Just as with the bill to increase speeding fines in school zones, one big goal here is heightened awareness of pedestrians. Educating the public and enforcement are hurdles to overcome if passed, but they are impossible to achieve if not passed. One small step at a time, we are building a safer environment for our children.

GOOD LUCK, JIM!

Rep. Jim Hackworth's bi-weekly Legislative Report

Next week a bill that I am sponsoring is expected to be taken up on the floor of the House of Representatives. This bill, while not as controversial or exciting as many of the partisan issues you hear about in the news, is something that I believe is very important and can help in protecting our children.

Many of you have called or written me regarding your concerns about our children’s safety while walking to and from school. Many of you expressed concern that even with posted signs, flashing lights and traffic guards present many drivers appear to be willing to drive recklessly near schools.

House Bill 2653 is a bipartisan bill I have sponsored with Republican State Senator Randy McNally that prohibits motor vehicles from crossing a crosswalk in a school safety zone when a pedestrian is present in the crosswalk. Presently, drivers are required to stop and are allowed to move forward behind a pedestrian after they cross the center line. Under the proposed change a vehicle must stay stopped until the pedestrian gets to the other side of the street. I believe this change is necessary because injuries and deaths are often a result of children abruptly turning and vaulting back into the path of a vehicle.

Drivers in local school zones must recognize that kids are kids, and that sometimes things can happen around a school that may require quick reactions. All it takes is one careless driver not paying attention to cause a fatality. Not recognizing this could mean the difference between life and death. Our children are too fragile to have speeders driving recklessly within our school zones.

While I recognize we cannot legislate responsibility, we can make laws to punish those who would act irresponsibly. Our children will one day take our places as leaders in the community, so today we must be leaders by helping to protect them.

If you would like to learn more about school zone safety legislation, or if you have an issue you’d like me address, then please contact my office at (615) 741-4400 or e-mail me at rep.jim.hackworth@legislature.state.tn.us.

Thank you again for taking time to learn more about what your state government is doing for you and I look forward to speaking with you again soon.

Safety for Oak Ridge Students (SOS) Fund

Some significant accomplishments have been made thus far, but there is still much to be done. One group of Robertsville parents is working towards hiring an independent engineer to conduct a safety survey of the Illinois Ave/OR Turnpike area to fully identify all potential dangers and to recommend improvement measures. They are hoping to raise the full fee amount of $1,500. Please consider helping with this important effort by submitting a donation to:

Safety for Oak Ridge Students (SOS) Fund
c/o TNBank
401 S Illinois Avenue
Oak Ridge, TN 37830

Contact Your State Representatives Today!

Rep Hackworth and Sen. McNally (with the help of Bill Nolan and the state attorney) have worked hard to effect change for our children via the proposed legislation outlined below. If passed, these bills will have significant potential for improving the safety of not only our children, but pedestrians throughout the state of Tennessee. In brief, they will enhance local authority’s ability to penalize motorists who drive irresponsibly in school zones and will also provide for additional state funding for communities in which bus transportation is not available to all students.

To learn more, please visit the TN General Assembly website at http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/ and click on "Legislation." Enter the corresponding bill numbers in the search query field. Most importantly, please contact your state representatives as well as Governor Bredeson in support of these measures!

NOTE: I had the pleasure of meeting Rep. Hackworth last night and he provided some great insight into the potential hurdles he faces with these proposals. He’s reassured me that he is working diligently to pursue a variety of angles to see these through. Thank you Rep. Hackworth!!!!

HB2656 by Hackworth (SB3203 by McNally) Increases penalty for speeding in school zones to include a $250 minimum fine.

HB2653 by Hackworth (SB3077 by McNally) Prohibits motor vehicles from crossing a roadway with a crosswalk when a pedestrian is in such crosswalk; prohibits motor vehicles from crossing a roadway in school safety zones when a pedestrian is in the roadway.

HB2649 by Hackworth (SB3079 by McNally) Requires the state provide transportation for students who must cross a four-lane road or highway within one and one-half miles of the school in which they are enrolled.

HB2556 by Hackworth (SB3081 by McNally) Requires state funds pay for transportation for students living within one and one-half miles from a public school in which such students are enrolled if there are special hazard zones present as identified from an engineering and traffic investigation

HB2651 by Hackworth (SB3080 by McNally) Requires a local education authority (LEA) upon request of a parent to survey area within one and one-half miles of school to determine if any special hazards for students walking to such school exist; LEA shall send positive findings to the commissioner of transportation; commissioner must reject such findings within 60 days or state will pay for transportation to school for such students

Exciting Developments for February!

There have been some great developments in our town as of late. Tomorrow, 5 new crossing guards will begin working which will bring the total to 7. The new additions will be positioned at the following locations:

(2) Illinois and ORTP
(1) Robertsville and Illinois Ave
(1) Jefferson Ave and Robertsville Rd
(1) Fairbanks- for Jefferson

You'll most likely see them sometime between the hours of 7:00a.m.-8:30a.m. M-F, and in the afternoons 2:30-3:30p.m. except Wednesdays which would likely be between 12:30-2:00. They've taken on a dangerous, but very important job. Let them know how much they are appreciated!

The task force committee formed by the schools to address the transportation issue has also resulted in the school Transportation Director, Clifford Bunch proposing a very promising solution that could provide all of our children with bus access.

From what I understand of Mr. Bunch’s plan, it has the potential of requiring minimal, if any, additional funds. Here’s the gist of it:

• Combine MS and HS routes in the afternoon
• Establish .15 mi pick up points for elementary kids with the exception of Kindergarteners
• Establish .25 mi pick up for MS/HS kids
• Define new positions for some drivers that also makes them part of the custodial staff

Current buses in use were stated to be 15 MS buses and 5 HS buses. The new system would require a total of 18 (just for MS & HS). (The total number of buses remains in question, but according to Bailey there are a total of 23 in use and 33 which are operable)

The combining of afternoon routes should eliminate the need for additional drivers which would alleviate the pressure on the part-time HS drivers who work other jobs and don’t desire to go full time.

The next committee meeting is scheduled for February 21st - all are open to the public.

I believe that Oak Ridge can, and will, become one of the safest cities in our state for children during their commute to and from school. For parents, what greater piece of mind can one expect from a community?

Thanks to all of our city, school, and state officials and employees and all of the citizens who've worked tirelessly for so long!

The following was presented to the ORSB last night. They gave no indication of being willing to explore any transportation options until April and no desire to provide additional transportation options until next school year.

Proposed Solutions for Providing Equal Opportunity Access
to Transportation for all City of Oak Ridge Students
By Trina Baughn
January 28, 2008

These suggestions are provided in an effort to overcome the greatest obstacle currently facing the school system (limited funding/resources) in their desire to provide all students with the same opportunity to ride a bus to and from school.

OPTION #1
As Mr. DiGregorio alluded to in the July 2007 meeting, develop a .35 pick up across the board for first through 12th grade students:

From the BEP 2.0 Presentation prepared by Karen Gagliano, posted on the OR school website:http://www.ortn.edu/downloads/BEP_Transportation_Options.pdf

Option 2 - $75,000 – Reinstate all K-4 Door to Door 6 add’l buses thru 2012 $636KOption 1 - $50,000 – Reinstate Only K-2 Door to Door 4 add’l buses thru 2012 $424KOption 3 - $25,000 – Reinstate all K-4 pick up at .35 miles 2 add’l buses thru 2012 $212K

Based on these calculations, operational costs as well as additional bus costs run at about a 1/3 of the cost of door-to-door service. As Dr. Bailey has explained to me, this option has yet to be fully explored.

OPTION #2
Use funding from the Budget Undesignated Fund Balance (a.k.a. reserves or Rainy Day Fund) to cover the approximate cost savings of last year’s cuts of $300,000.

Though once depleted to a balance of $0 in FY05/06, this fund has now been greatly replenished and as of December 2007 had a balance of $1.290 million. This reflects minimal use (less than 5%) since FY06/07 when the balance stood at $1.352 million.

(Note: There is a separate contingency fund, originally budgeted at $400K designated for the potential need of hiring additional teachers during the school year)

OPTION #3
Review past year scenarios in which full service was offered but required fewer resources to determine how current resources can be better utilized.

Current enrollment statistics reflect a total student population of 4,413; the maximum anticipated enrollment for FY08 is 4,443
Current Bus Fleet: 33 (with 2 to be out of commission at the end of the school year and 23 in service; the remaining 8 are operational but must be reserved for a 3 tiered back up system)

FY1997 Budget
Projected Enrollment 5,038
Total planned bus fleet (including those to be used for back up system) 32 buses
These figures indicate planning for full service was based on a student population of greater than 12% (625 more students) of the current enrollment figures, yet required one less bus to implement.

Response from Dr. Bailey

Dr. Bailey called me to discuss my questions below. He explained that his focus is on added police presence, crossing guards and bus drivers – he wants to allow the committee to focus on transportation.

While I didn’t expect such a quick response, Dr. Bailey did state he’d have to get back with me on some of my questions. He provided the following answers. You can read excerpts from our conversation below.

1. If the school's are currently understaffed for bus drivers and if, as you stated, the bus with the sign on the turnpike is the most effective recruiting tool you have, then why hasn't that bus been out there in well over a month?
They are not recruiting for additional bus drivers at this time. (Confirmed again during last night’s school board meeting. )

4. When do you anticipate the finalization of the committee to occur?
5. When do you anticipate action to result from this committee?
7. Does this mean that you do not anticipate action from this committee until after April?
Their first meeting is January 31st. Dr. Bailey doesn’t expect their recommendations to come before the end of March. He doesn’t anticipate the schools to take any action until May.

7. Are you working towards providing additional transportation for walkzone children this school year or are you waiting until after FY09 budget approval to occur before doing so? No. See above.

Quotes from Dr. Bailey
“It’s important to educate people because part of the confusion is that things change from minute to minute. Have to have subs and that number fluctuates – doesn’t know how many subs they have. They have volumes of things they report on so it will take time to get back to me with all of the answers.

Ended with him asking me who was on the committee because he thought I was on it – asked me if I had contacted the schools to express my interest – I told him that wasn’t how they explained it that the principals were tasked with identifying parents

There are 23 buses – Clifford was mistaken with the 24 number; there are actually 33 sitting on the lot with 2 to go out of commission this year – must have the extra buses for spares which must be available on 3 different levels in case one of the 23 goes out

Doesn’t expect a recommendation until mid-late March from the committee – Clifford knows everything and will be able to then work with the committee on choosing the best option – probably not likely that a conclusion will be reached until may

Does not want the school staff spinning their wheels on the issue until the committee comes back with their recommendations

Bus drivers – not advertising because they have a current 1-2 people in the applicant pool – doesn’t want to advertise unnecessarily – wants to focus on needs for this year. Went on to explain the problems they’ve had in hiring how one had a heart attack, one quit after first week of training, etc…..


He hopes the committee will look at the issue seriously and he’s sure they will – they would need to determine what the solutions would look like, how much it would cost and present the suggestions to Clifford. He hopes that they will focus on equal opportunity access, but it is very complicated……………………………

He hopes the committee will focus on 2 things – preventing children from crossing major intersections and providing equal opportunity to all children

“some kids walk past less desirable homes and if he were a parent he’d be quite concerned”

“Don’t mis-quote me, but everything boils down to money – must have the funds first”

A Pennsylvanian school visited to discuss their new high school and get a reference for the contractor – Dr. Bailey noticed they didn’t have a bus look and was shocked to find that they have never provided transportation.

He stressed that compromises would have to be made

Have to be realistic about the sales tax issue and look at what services we want to provide and what services we want to cut.”

Request for Progress Update from OR Schools

This is in response to my original request for a copy of a report given 3 weeks ago (see emails at the end).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Trina
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2008 9:00 AM
To: 'Thomas Bailey'
Cc: 'agle@bellsouth.net'; 'donato60@gmail.com'; 'jrichter@utk.edu'; 'smithjrj@saic.com'; 'wkfillauer@comcast.net'; 'Karen Gagliano'; 'Ken Green'
Subject: RE: Transportation Report

Dr. Bailey,

I attended and heard your 40 minute commentary that was a part of the special report in the agenda at the Jan 7th school board meeting, As I recall, you focused a lot of time discussing the city’s efforts and responsibilities. You also spent 15 minutes discussing the nuances and difficulties of recruiting and training bus drivers. My request for a copy of your special report was my effort to glean any potential facts that I may have missed with regards to the school’s progress on protecting our children en route to and from school.

1. If the school’s are currently understaffed for bus drivers and if, as you stated, the bus with the sign on the turnpike is the most effective recruiting tool you have, then why hasn’t that bus been out there in well over a month?

During the Jan 7th meeting, Ms Gagliano also gave a brief commentary on the fact that a committee was being formed to “discuss, evaluate options and develop a plan.” I have reviewed the upcoming agenda for Monday’s school board meeting and city council meeting. In it, I find Mr. Smith’s letter to city council requesting a member to serve on the same committee Ms. Gagliano referenced. Attached to that letter is a “Transportation Services Update/Change” which provides details on the additional bus in the Vanderbilt neighborhood. It goes on to itemize several city efforts and lists, essentially, 2 school action items – to form a committee and to focus on “several options.” In neither Mr. Smith’s communications nor the school board agenda packet is the nomination of the school board member for this committee referenced. I believe the formation of this committee began in November. There is also no item on the school board agenda related to the transportation issue.

2. What factors were considered when the decision to provide an additional route to the Vanderbilt area was made?

3. Why was this area chosen over the Hillside area when by all accounts from the city, it has substantially higher foot traffic?

4. When do you anticipate the finalization of the committee to occur?

5. When do you anticipate action to result from this committee?

6. What are the “several options” that the schools are looking into?

Your Budget Development Concepts FY’09 document (http://www.ortn.edu/downloads/budget_concepts09.pdf) contains the following: “The scope of transportation services will be further examined during the development of the FY’09 Budget…. In FY’09, a committee….will review transportation service options. Particularly, the committee’s goal will be to address safety needs of students crossing major intersections….”

7. Does this mean that you do not anticipate action from this committee until after April?

As you are aware, I have also requested updates from the city. They have reported on a number of actions, with the most significant area of progress being the formation of a crossing guard program (they are currently processing 11 applications). It is this type of information I seek from the schools - specific actions that have occurred and are planned to occur. Please correct me if I am wrong, but as of today, these are the only actions I understand to have occurred by the schools:

- An additional route in the Vanderbilt area has been added
- A committee is being formed (and has been since November 2007)
- The Safe Routes to School Grant is being pursued

While I appreciate the efforts of school staff, I (and many others) remain unclear on exactly what those efforts have been. Through various media publications and your own personal communications, you have acknowledged a “full” awareness of the dangers our kids face as far back as 17 months. You’ve even referenced your own efforts of standing at some of the most dangerous intersections during the previous school year. Given these facts, I am concerned over what appears to be a lack of urgency on the part of the schools and am trying to establish an understanding of just how much longer we can expect before change occurs.

7. Are you working towards providing additional transportation for walkzone children this school year or are you waiting until after FY09 budget approval to occur before doing so?

In the July 2007 meeting (http://www.ortn.edu/downloads/Special_Board_Meeting_72307.pdf)
when the addition of the routes for K-4 with .35 mile pick up was approved, Mr. DiGregorio inquired about the possibility of doing something similar to accommodate the children remaining in the walkzone. There was a lot of discussion to include: “Ms. Gagliano predicted that there would be a lot of backlash from people who have students being picked up door to door” and “The superintendent said it was something that could be looked at over the next year.”

8. Has this option been looked into by the schools?

9. If so, what were the results?

10. If not, when will it be?

From the BEP 2.0 Presentation prepared by Karen Gagliano, posted on the OR school website:
http://www.ortn.edu/downloads/BEP_Transportation_Options.pdf

Option 2 - $75,000 – Reinstate all K-4 Door to Door 6 add’l buses thru 2012 $636K
Option 1 - $50,000 – Reinstate Only K-2 Door to Door 4 add’l buses thru 2012 $424K
Option 3 - $25,000 – Reinstate all K-4 pick up at .35 miles 2 add’l buses thru 2012 $212K

Based on these calculations, operational costs, as well as additional bus costs, run at about a 1/3 of the cost of door-to-door service.

11. With such substantial cost savings, has any other option for full reinstatement of bus service surfaced that would prove more cost-efficient?

12. If requiring children as young as 5 years walk up to .35 miles was acceptable to the schools, then what is the obstacle preventing the you from asking the same of older students?

I respectfully request your acknowledgement of receipt of this communication and an anticipated time for which I can expect a response.

Regards,

Trina

-----Original Message-----
From: Thomas Bailey [mailto:TBailey@ortn.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2008 8:07 AM
Subject: Re: Transportation Report

Trina: Since I spoke from notes, I am trying to determine what format is best for web. I may wait for minutes of the minutes and post them. I will let you know as soon as I can. I am at a superindents workshop today. Hopefully, I should have something by the end of the week. Tom
-----Original Message-----
To: Thomas Bailey
Sent: Tue Jan 15 19:55:32 2008
Subject: RE: Transportation Report

Hi! I didn't find this on the school web site. Has it been posted?
-----Original Message-----
From: Thomas Bailey [mailto:TBailey@ortn.edu]
Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2008 3:27 PM
Subject: Re: Transportation Report

Trina: I am out of town but I had asked Mr. Green to put it on the web last
week before I left. I will be back in town Monday and see that you get a
copy. Tom

-----Original Message-----
To: Thomas Bailey; agle@bellsouth.net ; donato60@gmail.com ; jrichter@utk.edu smithjrj@saic.com ; wkfillauer@comcast.net ; Karen Gagliano; Ken Green
Sent: Sat Jan 12 15:00:59 2008
Subject: Transportation Report

Dr. Bailey,

Can you provide me with a copy of Monday night's transportation report? I'm
looking for the information both you and Karen presented. Mr. Baker has
said that his will be posted on the RMS site shortly.

Thanks!

Trina

It's Not a Garmin

According to http://www.kidsandcars.org/, an organization whose mission is to "assure no child dies or is injured in a non-traffic, motor vehicle related event," the number of children killed in non-traffic fatalities for 2007 was 231. Such incidents of death have increased every year for the last 7 with this past year's number being nearly double that what it was in 2000 - 124. Nearly 50% of those involved backovers. This site also notes that the CDC reports over 9,100 children being treated in ERs for non-traffic accidents.

With many backovers occuring in the driveways of the victims, just the thought of it possibly happening by me or to any child sends shivers up my spine.

I love my van, but it does have some pretty bad blind spots. This little devise won't guarantee total prevention, but at $100, the risk reduction alone is definitely worth it. Check out the Kids and Care website - they've got some great prevention info from a variety of sources. Do what you can.

The state is in session and our issues are being worked!

I don't have much time, but wanted to share some great news I just received from Bill Nolan (our local lobbyist). He has been working with Rep. Hackworth and the state attorney and they are introducing 2, possibly 3, pieces of legislation based on some of the brainstorming ideas listed below. If I understood correctly, they may be submitted as early as today.

I'll get a detailed update from him later, but this is very encouraging news to say the least. Rep. Hackworth expressed to Mr. Nolan that that many of our ideas have great potential. Woo hoo!

LTE: Time to Commit - Specifically, Please

I have stated numerous times that I believe protecting our children in their commute to and from school is a multi-faceted problem that will require multiple solutions. And while much can be achieved from a variety of resources, the responsibility of implementing the most effective and beneficial solutions (full reinstatement of transportation and the formalization of a crossing guard program) essentially lies with our local officials.

I applaud the city and the schools for their expressed commitment to work together on this most important issue. However, if we are to move forward, it is time that each commit to more specific, tangible goals. Taking this important step will circumvent blurring the lines of accountability which has, in the past, led to public confusion and ineffective solutions.

Because school bus transportation is managed by the school system, they possess sole authority in the decision of who can and cannot use this service. Though they have made some progress in increasing the allowable ridership, they have yet to commit to equal opportunity for 100 percent of our children. For me, this is unacceptable.

Others aren’t completely convinced that transportation for all is the best solution. One argument suggests that the schools deprive children of much-needed exercise by providing busing in the first place. I would think our schools already meet their physical fitness obligations to our students with the wide variety of sports programs they offer. Even if they do not, I would still prefer that safety take priority over unsupervised cardio and weight training (while carrying 20 to 30 pound backpacks).

There are also those who believe that our children’s safety (while en route) is not the schools responsibility. Then I have to ask: Why did our schools provide door-to-door bus service for all those years? If it was not out of consideration for safety and since it is not mandated, then why provide bus service to anyone?

Funding limitations are, according to some, one of the primary obstacles to reinstating full bus service. It should be noted that the savings from last year’s transportation cuts amounted to .7 percent — that is, less than 1 percent — of the total $50 million budget. And, as others have pointed out, if we are all paying the same taxes, is it really asking too much that all of our children (especially those who live in the poorest of our neighborhoods) be given the same opportunities for safe travel?

Many of those who view funding as an obstacle feel the need to press City Council to provide more funds to the schools. Were it not for the fact that the schools neglected to include reinstatement in their proposed budget (and subsequent demand for increased funding), I might agree. I also feel that if the city is to assume the burden of crossing guards as well as future, long-term solutions (traffic calming, pedestrian bridges, etc.), then we can’t expect them to also foot the bill for busing without sacrificing other necessary services.

Though I contend that the city is responsible for providing crossing guards (be they hired, volunteers, or a combination of each), I have found there to be no law designating them as such. However, because they do manage the police department and other services related to pedestrian safety, they are the most logical candidates for the job. Among other efforts, they have indicated that they are implementing a full-scale citizen volunteer program. But, this stops short of fully committing to providing immediate crossing guards. This, to me, is also unacceptable. I have heard few, if any, arguments against pressing the city for a firm commitment on the matter.

State and federal mandates, fully funded or not, provide the impetus for our local government to achieve the seemingly impossible. Citizen mandates can do the same, but only if we insist on specific courses of action from specific entities. I encourage all Oak Ridgers, regardless of your parental status, to insist that they do so via published letters, phone calls, and, most importantly, at public meetings. It is time for the city and the schools to commit publicly and unequivocally to their individual responsibilities.

Revisions to this site

I've tweaked this site a bit with the hopes of providing more organized information so that people can better support the cause. Most changes involve the sections to the left. Feel free to comment or send more info that I can include.

TN lawmakers will be back in session the second week of January through the end of April. Some of the suggestions that can make our children's commute safer can only be addressed at the state level.

For a complete list, see the Brainstorming post. I believe that increasing fines for violations made within a school zone is one of the major changes that needs to occur. As I understand it, TN is one of the few states that sets a limit of $50 per incident on infractions such as speeding and red-light running. That shocked me since I know many states double and triple such fines. What shocked me even more was to learn that there have been at least 2 attempts at changing this law and both were voted down. Maybe a 3rd time will be the charm.

I enourage you to contact our representatives (see resources to the left for contact info) as well as our local lobbyist, Bill Nolan 865.250.9278 or williambnolan@aol.com to pursue adding changes to the state's agenda.

Stats to Chew On

Traffic Accidents for the intersection of Illinois Ave & the OR Turnpike:

2003 - 34 accidents
2004 - 35 accidents
2005 - 30 accidents
2006 - 34 accidents
2007 - 30 accidents (1 Pedestrian)


Cost to transport 15 Rarity Ridge students: $15,000
Cost to transport 30 students in the Vanderbuilt area: $0

Who Have You Been Talking To?

I've been considering opening this site up a little to facilitate a greater sharing of information. There's some pretty decent traffic coming through, not the least of which are some regular hits by local and state officials. One of my thoughts is to post citizen communications, be they written or verbal, here so that all could stay informed of what others are doing. Not only would this allow for a greater sharing of information, but it would also provide support and motivation to folks. It's hard to keep momentum going without such support. If you'd be interested in sharing something you've communicated or had communicated to you from local officials, you could either post a comment below or you could send it to me at protectoakridgekids@gmail.com and I could post it here. You are welcome to specify if you'd like to remain anonymous, but keep in mind that may lead to the need to edit more on my part depending on what is being communicated.

I'm also thinking about including a separate section with links to local news articles that are relevant to the cause. Feel free to send those my way as well. It may be a few weeks before I can accomplish this, but I think it will be worth it.

Brainstorming

November 27, 2007

I've updated the list to include recent suggestions. Any and all are welcome to use this list as a reference point, especially when communicating with elected officials. Note that the City Council has tasked the city manager to bring forth suggestions for change at the next CC meeting on Dec 17th. Email or call him with your thoughts: JOConnor@cortn.org 425-3550
-------------------------------------------
As we move forward, I thought it might help to centralize as many ideas as possible - no matter how realistic or affordable - so that no stone is left unturned. Feel free to add to my list using the comments button. Note that each item can have sub items and I will attempt to revise the original post with your feedback.

Imagine how powerful it would be if just 1/4 of our citizens grabbed a hold of some of these ideas and pursued them to the end? Or if just 20 people grabbed on to all of them and worked through them until all possibilities had been explored.

I'm excited to think of how we'll remove what previously seemed like insurmountable obstacles.

Trina

Individual Efforts
ó Make opportunities – don’t wait for them - to educate not only your own children, but others as well
ó Model and practice safety in the presence of children and adults alike
ó Now your neighbors, familiarize yourself with the local offender lists and make others aware of potentially dangerous areas
ó Organize volunteer walking school buses
ó Organize neighborhood carpools

- Offer anyone who’s child you know walks to help transport them
- Get certified in First Aid and CPR

-Take a bicycle safety class

City/School Efforts
ó Frequently position police officers directly at these busy intersections
ó Address any inconsistencies in stop light changes
ó Install more sidewalks
ó Paint slanted lines into all of the current crosswalks so that children know clearly where to walk and cars can clearly see where to stop
ó Organize a volunteer crossing guard schedule; use all 1,000 city and school employees until all shifts are filled
ó Encourage local judges to double or triple fines and points for motorists caught speeding in a school zone
ó Build pedestrian bridges
ó Install sidewalks on major roads where foot traffic is heavy
ó Install traffic cameras for both red lights and speed zones
ó Reinstate buses for all children
ó Pursue low-to-no cost alternatives, such as free extended care, privately funded or subsidized shuttle service with consideration for:
o children without bus privileges
o children of single parents, grandparents or of parents who are constrained by work obligations
o children who have been temporarily suspended from the bus
o children who participate in extra-curricular activities that may cause them to arrive or depart school outside of normal hours
ó Pursue state and federal grants for any and all of the above

- Make *all* stoplights turn red when the pedestrian button is pushed at busy intersections like Illinois and the Turnpike. (Denver does this in their downtown.)
- Instead of the busses running and stopping several times in a neighborhood have a central pick up point in the neighborhood and/or along major, less dangerous routes

ó Explore rerouting traffic during before and after school hours
ó Identify all high-risk zones within the city from east to west
ó Turn transportation over to city to eliminate state restrictions
State Efforts
repjimhackworth@yahoo.com
sen.tommy.kilby@legislature.state.tn.us

sen.randy.mcnally@legislature.state.tn.us

- Lobby the State to change the rule that prohibits charging for bus service within the zone where the state contributes nothing for transportation
ó Pursue legislation to make it illegal for a vehicle to cross the plane of a crosswalk while a pedestrian is within that same plane.
ó Lobby the state to include more funding in the BEP for transportation state-wide based on the fact that the first step in meeting any state or federal education goal is getting children to school safely.
ó Ask the state to put more responsibility on TDOT to provide funding for local government to implement additional police positioning, flashing lights, crossing guards, walking overpasses, etc. where state highways are located within a walk zone of all schools.
ó Seek that our state require schools or cities (and specify which one) to provide crossing guards at all major intersections within all walk zones of all schools when transportation is not provided
ó Support any legislation that gives local authorities the right to install traffic cameras for both red-lights and speed zones
ó Encourage state representatives to adjust any laws that will alleviate the pressures bus drivers are subjected to in expediting their routes – they are forced to meet a set schedule that takes little to no consideration for the nuances inherent to their situation (racing to pick up children who may be racing to get to them or may be slow in getting on and off the bus). I would think that the origin of such pressure comes from school attendance laws which penalize school systems when children are late.

Resources
ó http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/guide/index.cfm.
ó http://www.cortn.org/
ó http://www.ortn.edu/default.cfm?TargetSchoolMenuID=158&FromLevel=2

Consult with the Oak Ridge Traffic Safety Advisory Board (TSAB)
U.S. Dept of Transportation's grant program for "Safe Routes to School". This is different from the SRTS Guide, and offers the promise of federal and state money to address safety issues. http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/saferoutes/

If I had…If they had…I shouldn’t have…They shouldn’t have…We could have…

For two days I was mad. I was mad at God. I was mad at myself. I was mad at you.

It hurt so much! I just wanted to stop thinking about it. I felt selfish for wanting emotional support when others were suffering so much more. I needed the comfort of strangers almost as much as that of loved ones.

Your pain, expressed through your anger, was piercing. I worried about what would happen next. Would anything good really come of it? Or would we just tear each other apart? Would we crumble under the spotlight that is focused on our little town? Exactly HOW do we move forward? I ached for those whom I’d previously attacked and wished I’d never become involved. I wanted to retreat back into my old life and just let you handle it.

And then, you reached out to me. You didn’t really know me, but you reached out nonetheless. Even though my tears continued to flow, I started to feel my pain retreat, if just a little. I began to think of how I’m connected to people I’ve never met and how one instant in time can bring about bonds I never imagined possible.

But I still don’t know you or what you have done or what you want to do. Why is that? How could that be when I spend so much time trying to learn about you and our shared concerns? If I do come to know you, will my hope resurge? Will I do things differently because I know how much you really care?

I hope to meet you someday. Even more, I hope to know and work with you to honor Ashley’s memory together in love. Maybe we can encourage one another to stay vigilant about our kids’ safety many years after the pain subsides.

Reverence

I accept God's will and my inability to understand it. I will refrain from public comment for a while out of respect for the family and those affected by this tragedy. My thoughts and prayers continue for the Paine family and all who hurt.

Pray, Pray, Pray

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2007/nov/09/girl-injured-when-hit-school-bus/

And then DO SOMETHING.

LTR to Rep Hackworth and Senator Kilby

I am writing to ask for your support in resolving one aspect of the dangerous situations that Oak Ridge children are facing daily in their walk to and from school.

You can read details about the specific dangers and what efforts have been made locally at www.protectoakridgekids.blogspot.com. With regards to your involvement, I believe that a specific change in our traffic laws would be one action that would benefit Oak Ridge children as well as all Tennesseans. The city is working on installing flashing lights and a reduced speed zone at one intersection, but this one action will not address the full scope of the problems that I have witnessed for the last 2 months while serving as a volunteer crossing guard. In fact, such measures would not have prevented an incident I had this week (described below).

I have learned from the OR Police Department that there are limited laws regarding vehicles and crosswalks. I had inquired about this because I’d experienced, on nearly a daily basis, cars crossing in front of and behind me while I was legally crossing through a crosswalk. It was only this week that I fully appreciated just what a danger this posed. As I was crossing Robertsville Rd, a car crossed 2 feet ahead of me from Illinois Ave. While I was alert enough to stop for her to pass, there was another vehicle behind her that I had not seen and who had not seen me. The result was a quick stop by the driver about 1 foot from me. Sadly, the ordeal has led to my no longer serving the some 15-20 children who cross there every morning.

Sir, I strongly feel that changes in our traffic laws similar to those in other regions of the world are key to increased safety of these children. In Germany, for example, it is illegal for a vehicle to cross the plane of a crosswalk while a pedestrian is within that same plane. Were this the case in Tennessee, I believe that drivers would become more alert to pedestrians, thus increasing their safety. Would you consider pursuing similar laws in our state?

I'm Done

After coming too close to being hit not once, but twice within 10 seconds this morning, my days as a crossing guard are over. While some are willing to risk their children's lives, I am no longer willing to risk mine at the possible expense of my own children.

I still have some avenues to pursue, but one can only do so much. My prayers will continue for our children's safety and for our leadership to open their eyes and hearts long enough to see the problem resolved.

Taking a Break

With Fall Break in effect for all but WB, and because the only WB kids I've seen are escorted by adults, I'll be taking the next week off from my normal a.m. shift.

In the meantime, if you've been contemplating calling on local officials here's a suggestion if and when you do. Ask them what "they" have been doing about this particular problem. After they respond with a generalized answer, ask them exactly what their individual efforts have been. Ask them what they have done personally to bring about change. You might be suprised by their answers - especially if you call on multiple people and compare their responses.

OCT 11, 07 LTE

An hour in the life of an intersection

Between 7:10a.m. and 8:10a.m. every school morning, about 8 children cross through or walk along the intersection of Robertsville Rd. and Illinois Ave. That number can somewhat vary from morning to morning as there are at least 10 others who cross periodically.

During this same hour at this same location, over 3,000 vehicles pass through at average speeds that easily exceed the 45mph limit. At least 35 multi-ton trucks pass through hauling materials such as cinder block, dirt, chemicals, and heavy machinery. Furthermore, on any given morning during just this one hour, between 15-20 vehicles run through red (not yellow) lights – sometimes in packs of up to 4 at a time.

Compounding the danger are the numerous unsafe actions taken by both the pedestrians and the motorists. In the past 6 weeks, I’ve observed such acts as a car turning into an oncoming traffic lane instead of waiting for me to completely cross the street; children darting across the street in the middle of a green light and against a “don’t walk” sign (remember, I have no authority to prevent this); and, a big-rig that kept rolling into the crosswalk during a red light as I was walking in front of it and would have hit me had I not stepped aside.

Picture all of this activity as our children make their way to school and keep in mind that, as of today, it is still dark until around 7:25a.m. and there are no flashing warning signs in place to slow traffic.

By now, you may be wondering what our local government is doing to address this and other similar situations. I’ve been informed that both the city and the schools are working together and I have no reason to doubt this. However, I am concerned at how quickly and effectively changes will be made since this problem has been in existence for well over a year and there appear to be two factors that are directly impeding a real solution.

The first of which is the lack of police presence. I’ve seen many police cars drive through this intersection and sometimes position themselves directly in front of the middle school; however, no cop has sat directly at this intersection to observe all of the aforementioned traffic violations.
The ORPD has explained to me their logic in not doing this, but I still believe that, even if done sporadically, it would reduce the danger factor immensely.

The second concern I have is that Dr. Bailey continues to avoid taking ownership of a problem that he has, in large part, created. He’s made numerous statements that crossing guards are solely the city’s responsibility. However, in all of my communications with the city, not one person has verified this to be true. To the contrary, I have learned that our school system did once employ crossing guards, and according to a myriad of sources, not the least of which is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, school systems all over the country do so as well.

Not only has Dr. Bailey pointed the finger at the city, but he has also taken great measures to prevent those who may most want to help from doing so. According to Dr. Bailey himself, he has specifically instructed his staff to refrain from assisting these children, citing liability concerns. Maybe it’s just me, but it certainly sounds like children’s lives are taking a back seat to legalism.
It’s time to set the excuses aside and make all of our children’s safety a priority. You can bet that if the state or feds mandated it, these problems would be non-existent. But since they haven’t, it seems that only citizens have the power to force a solution into reality. Please urge our elected officials to make immediate, responsible changes and visit http://protectoakridgekids.blogspot.com/ to learn more.

Record High Today

16 kids crossed this morning - that's double the average! And 10 of them showed up within 10 minutes before daybreak. Factor in the extremely dense fog we had and you can imagine just how dangerous it was.

Some of the reasons I've found that the non-regulars show up include having missed the bus, having been suspended from the bus and quite a few of them usually show up earlier than when I arrive at 7:10.

So, while the average during my one hour will probably stick at around 8, the total average is closer to 16 when you factor in the early risers. Total kids is up to about 20.

Progress!

The following has been submitted to the OR City Council and the OR BOE. As you will see, progress has been made. But there is still so much more to do! Please continue to contribute in whatever ways you are able. The calls and emails that have been made to local officials are making a difference!

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Greetings! I am happy to report on the progress that has been made regarding the dangers of our school children en route to and from school and I want to thank you all for your work together and encourage you to continue until all of our children are safe!

As some of you may be aware, I am continuing my work at the intersection of Robertsville and Illinois Ave every school morning. As per my initial conversation with the ORPD on Aug 28th, my role remains to simply walk with children (when they are agreeable) across a dangerous intersection in the hopes of modeling appropriate safety measures, providing added visibility to traffic, and educating them on safety issues. Ultimately, the children and drivers remain responsible for their actions, but hopefully my efforts will contribute in some small way towards a bigger solution. As I solicit assistance from other potential volunteers, I want to reassure you that I have not (and will not) interfere with traffic in any way, nor have I made statements to the contrary.

Notes of progress:

ó I understand from Mr. O’Connor that we can expect state approval for the installation of flashing yellow lights within the next 30 days. Thanks to both the COR and ORS on working together to make this happen. With both the logistical and financial burden being shared, this is truly a great example of teamwork!

ó Thanks to the COR for providing me with a vest! This will certainly enhance the safety of both myself and the children by increasing my visibility to traffic.

ó Thanks also to the city for addressing the inconsistencies in the light changes – this has helped tremendously in reducing the anxiety of kids who are in a rush to get to school.

ó Thanks to the PTSA for spreading the word about this dire need via the following email: “The crossing situation on Illinois Avenue has obviously been of much concern to the community. There is an opening for a paid crossing guard, but volunteers would be welcome as well. This is through the Oak Ridge Police Department, however, not the school itself. Anyone interested in either the paid position or just helping has a volunteer should contact the Police Department directly.”

ó I understand that, thanks to the ORS efforts, buses for elementary students will finally be reinstated October 15th. I remind you that this change, while positive, will not effect the majority of the children who are crossing both of these intersections.

Additional Suggestions/Feedback

ó Mr. Hensley suggested using traffic cameras to deter speeding. I’ve pasted the link to the proposed agreement between the City of Knoxville and RedFlex. If I’m reading it correctly, the cost to the city is minimal to none; instead, they have set up a method of payment based only on collected fees. Perhaps the COR could pursue something similar. http://www.cityofknoxville.org/purchasing/bids/0513_redlightcontract.pdf

ó Mr. Bailey has stated that the schools are constrained from hiring or providing crossing guards. The National Center for Safe Routes to School, with the help of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, has put out some excellent information (including the “walking school bus” idea that Ms. Smith referenced.) on their website http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/guide/index.cfm. Of specific interest is the statement that “The hiring, training, supervising and funding of adult school crossing guards is typically the responsibility of local law enforcement agencies, traffic engineering departments, individual schools or school districts.” This indicates that it is perfectly acceptable and permissible for schools to have the authority to employ crossing guards. I strongly encourage the COR to give the schools full authority to hire and manage crossing guards, be they volunteer or paid employees, so that they may have the ability to more fully contribute in the manner they so desire.

ó The OR Turnpike/Illinois intersection remains unattended. I believe that Dr. Bailey referenced that someone would be monitoring it. Has this been projected to occur in the near future?

ó I have learned that there are a few children arriving at this intersection very early as they head to school to participate in extra-curricular activities. One, in particular, is a student at WillowBrook. I hope that this factor will be equally considered by all as we work towards a multi-faceted solution.

ó Often, children are confused about exactly where to walk; and cars frequently stop over the crosswalks. May I suggest painting slanted lines into the current crosswalks?


Further emphasizing the need for safe passage is the fact that the number of children who use this particular intersection continues to rise; with 7 new students this week alone, we are up to between 15-17 kids who cross periodically and the average being somewhere around 7 per morning. As you can tell, I am passionate about this subject and feel that 14 months without resolve is unacceptable. I am certain that this will no longer be the case as we continue to work expeditiously towards all-encompassing solutions.

Sincerely,

Trina Baughn

Updated Info

I've published some of the correspondence I've had in the next two posts to address what the schools and city have done so far. In both strings, all city council and BOE members were included.

I've also had lengthy discussions with the ORPD. As of right now, they will not position a police officer at either intersection nor will they provide direct assistance to myself or other potential volunteers - they cite liability as their main limitation.

As far as demographic information, see below that Dr. Bailey references monitoring the TP/Illinois intersection. I can tell you first hand that there are about a total of 10 students crossing at Robertsville Rd. between 7:10-8:10a.m. with the average number per day being 5. Most are heading to RMS, which means that even if the bus reinstatement were to occur as planned (for K-4th grade only), these children would still have no other safe alternative.

Finally, I have since learned that the incident that brought this issue to my attention did not involve a child being hit, but rather the child hitting the car. I've also learned that it occurred during a time that no lights would be flashing nor would a paid crossing guard be on site if either measure had been in place. I believe the child was en route to school earlier than normal to participate in an extra-curricular type activity. There are others who do so as well, which further expands the problem.

I recognize that there is no way to fully prevent accidents; however, as it stands, there is so much that can be done to limit such accidents but so little being done.

Email Correspondence with Superintendent Bailey

Most CC and BOE were included in this string

-----Original Message-----
From: Thomas Bailey
Sent: Friday, August 31, 2007 9:09 PM

Trina: The city staff, Principal Mike Baker and I meet Wednesday and determined that a flashing yellow warning light needs to be installed like the high school has this year. This will create a 20 mph speed limit and means that the police will have to write a few tickets to enforce it and make people slow down. I have already spent days at that intersection last year and this year as well as principal Baker. I saw very similar issues that you saw. As you may know the schools have no authority to control the highways and streets. This is clearly the police department and city function. I have expressed concern for this intersection before and now as the most serious and critical regarding student safety. Mr Baker did an excellent job of conveying his concern and we were pleased to see the city manager, chief of police, traffic engineer and public works staff all agree to make application to the state immediately for the sign and have it installed ASAP. Someone mentioned you had expressed an interest of being a crossing guard in the morning. I truly appreciate that kind of commitment but. I stated that without that flashing sign, enforcement of the 20 mph speed limit. and the 300 yard school zone, it would be very difficult to find anyone who would be willing to be a cross guard. I am pleased that finally something is being done to address this intersection. Thank you for your efforts. Tom

-----Original Message-----
From: Trina Baughn
To: Thomas Bailey
Sent: Fri Aug 31 21:45:34 2007
Subject: RE: An Invitation

That is great news! Maybe these added safety measures will help with recruiting efforts. I am still willing to be out there in the mornings.
Are there planned corrective actions for the problems at the Turnpike/Illinois intersection, the kids who are crossing the TP near Jefferson Ave and the kids who are crossing Illinois near the rear RMS entrance?
Trina

From: Thomas Bailey Sent: Friday, August 31, 2007 11:34 PMTo:

Trina: The school zone will extent down where parents turn into RMS gym entrance. This will help that situation. In addition, the school administration will have to educate the students to cross only at Robertsville Road light and not jay walk across Illinois by the gym entrance. We will have to monitor Illinois and the Turnpike. Tom

Email Correspondence with the City Manager

Most CC and BOE members were included in this string.

From: O'Connor, James Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007

The School Superintendent and I have met to discuss this issue. It was decided that school flashing lights would be a good start to addressing the issue. Dr. Bailey is looking into the Schools funding the installation and the City paying for the operation and maintenance as we have done historically. This should be a good start and it is a priority to both the Schools and the City.

From: Trina Baughn Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 1:26

Mr. O’Connor,

Thanks again to all for addressing this issue. I understand from Dr. Bailey that the Illinois/Turnpike intersection will be monitored. I am unclear if this is to serve as a means to determine a future resolution or if more is involved with regards to immediate action. Is there any reason we can’t get someone out there starting tomorrow – be it an officer, city employee, or school employee? Though there has been no accident in recent history involving a child that I can recall, that certainly is no indication of it being less of a danger than the Robertsville Rd/Illinois intersection.

As I’ve stated previously, I will continue to work at the RR/Illinois intersection in the mornings. However, I will not be able to Monday and Tuesday of next week and could use some back up on those days. This is important as more parents/children come to rely on someone being there. Any takers?

Finally, I witnessed no less than 15 cars running the light this morning. I’m sure it’s more complicated than this, but surely there is benefit not only to citizen safety, but also to city funds in ticketing this area and time more heavily.

Trina Baughn

From: O'Connor, James
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 2:02 PM

As you know we have tried to employ school crossing guards with limited success. We do not have anyone especially a Police officer to station at this intersection but again if anyone knows of someone who wants to be a crossing guard that could possibly be a solution.


From: Trina Baughn
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 3:15

I’m perplexed that between the city and the school we have a pool of over 1,000 paid employees from which we can’t find someone who can be pulled for just 30 – 60 minutes a day.

If just the folks in this email alone took one shift, the morning shift alone (@ Illinois and the TP) would be covered for over 3 weeks. Better yet, if every single employee on both payrolls covered just 15 minutes, we’d have both the mornings and the afternoons at that intersection covered for a full year. I’d be happy to set up a schedule if needed.

Has anyone thought to ask the PTSA for assistance? What about some of our local non-profit organizations?

There’s got to be some way to make this work besides waiting on someone else to step up.

Trina Baughn

P.S. Anyone got a spare vest and sign I could use?

THE PROBLEM DEFINED

Oak Ridge has two very dangerous intersections (Robertsville Rd. & Illinois Ave and the OR Turnpike and Illinois Ave) at which children as young as elementary school age are crossing daily (and have been for the last year) without the assistance of a crossing guard, speed zones or police presence of any kind. Last month, a little boy was struck by a car at one of these very intersections. And while his injuries were not life-threatening, his accident illuminates a problem that has been brewing for quite some time.

MY INVOLVEMENT
For the last two weeks, I have stood at one of these intersections offering my assistance to these children and monitoring the traffic problems. I’ve also appealed to our local government (see Aug 31st post below) for their assistance. To date, no corrective action has been implemented.

ONE POSSIBLE SOLUTION
I’m committed to continuing to be directly involved in solving this problem but am limited in that I am only one person. My experience as the security team scheduler for my church tells me that with just a little bit of help from others, we can make this work.

My first thought is to devise a monthly schedule for each intersection and just start working to fill the shifts. (Scroll to the very bottom of this page to see a sample schedule). As I do with my church security schedule, I would update it regularly and email it out once a week. I would also facilitate communications between team members when coverage is needed or when other issues need to be conveyed to all.

One of the potential holes in my plan is the need for screening all volunteers. Ideally, we would use people who’ve already been subjected to a TBI background check. Such folks may include, but are not limited to, church affiliates who’ve been screened, government employees, or foster parents. Otherwise, I’m hoping that someone or some organization may be willing to assist with the fees or the waiver of such fees.

So there you have it in a nutshell. As you can see by the listing to the right, there are a variety of ways you can help in devising a plan of action. Stake your claim, Oak Ridgers, to the proud heritage of volunteerism our community and our state boast – ACT NOW! Please provide your thoughts (using the comment icon below this post) on making this solution or others work. Or, you can email me directly at protectoakridgekids@gmail.com.

With utmost sincerity and commitment,

Trina

Initial Public Appeal

Have you got an hour a day to spare? How about an hour a week? O.K. then, 1 hour a month?

Call me an idealist, but I believe that’s really about all it would take to solve one of our most pressing problems. I am referring to our children’s safety in route to and from school.

While the city and the schools have indicated that a school zone will soon be implemented at the Robertsville Rd/Illinois Ave intersection, this is only a small step towards solving a much larger problem. With one child having already been hurt, we can no longer afford to rely on our local government to protect our children.

If you would like to contribute to solving this problem in an immediate and effective way, email me today at protectoakridgekids@gmail.com or visit http://protectoakridgekids.blogspot.com/ to start working together to solve this problem.

August 31, 2007 Letter to City Council and the OR School Board

As you are all aware, one of our children was struck by a car this week on his way to school at the intersection of Illinois Avenue and Robertsville Road. I believe that this accident was avoidable and I am determined to see action taken to prevent any such incident from occurring again.

For the past 3 mornings, from about 7:20-7:50a.m., I had the opportunity to station myself at this intersection with the intent of assisting any children who might be walking across either of these busy roads. And while I did not encounter very many children attempting to cross at this juncture, I did observe and learn the following:

- Some cars coming from the direction of Oliver Springs are exceeding 50 mph
- At least 2-3 cars run the Illinois red light daily within this 30 minute window
- Without an adult to prompt them, children continue to ride their bicycles across this intersection – even one who knew about the accident on Monday and had people tell him that they thought it was him
- Some children are crossing in the middle of Illinois Ave near the back entrance to RMS rather than a crosswalk
- Multiple buses drive through this intersection each morning
- At least one child crosses this intersection much earlier than 7:15 to participate in some sort of extra-curricular program at RMS
- At least one child crosses from the side of RMS on his way to ORHS
- The extremely dangerous nature of this intersection may have contributed to the loss of the crossing guards last year and may well be a deterring factor in the lack of willing replacements
- It appears that it would be safer to cross Illinois Ave via the south side light to ensure more of a buffer from cars coming from the Oliver Springs direction – yet children, when not intercepted, opted to cross on the north side

Of course, this is not the only dangerous intersection our children are crossing. I’m not convinced that a crossing guard posted at each is even an effective solution. But until something is done to remedy this problem, I will make this a personal priority and will continue with my efforts.

I would like to believe that this issue is a priority for all of you as well. I invite each member of the city council and the school board along with the superintendent and the city manager to join me any day next week at the intersection of Robertsville Road and Illinois Ave between the hours of 7:20-7:50 a.m. so that you may actively engage in finding an immediate solution to this critical problem.

Sincerely,

Trina Baughn