On a daily basis motor vehicles speed along Linebaugh and run the red light at the pedestrian crosswalk during school intake & dismissal hours. Eastbound motorists cannot see the traffic light due to the rising sun blocking their view of the signal. Of course, they should be able to see children trying to cross with the crossing guard, but they don't seem to notice. I have even heard motorists say that they were unaware that there was a school nearby (after all, Adams & Forest Hills both are not within sight of Linebaugh). There is no cure for stupidity, but there are some things that could be done to HELP control the motorists' actions better than the current situation. Also, many kids cross Linebaugh at Ola, not wanting to take the extra time to walk down half of a block to cross at the crosswalk light, especially if they are running late.
PLEASE --- let's have a mass campaign with requests to the city for flashing lights to be installed along Linebaugh to cover the school crossing areas, beginning at Linebaugh/North Boulevard but especially for the crosswalk & light in front of the Presbyterian Church on Linebaugh. One or two people at a time have made this request in the past to no avail. Traffic Planning Dept.'s answer is that it isn't their policy to place flashing lights where there are already trafic control lights in place, yet other schools' crossing zones have both (for Belle Whitter Elementary School, on N. 22nd Street there are flashing lights in between 2 traffic control signals; there are also flashing lights for Buchannan Middle School on Bearss, where there is also a traffic control light at Bearss/N. Boulevard). If a large number of requests/complaints are made, maybe the city traffic division will be forced to take action.
Let's try to get results for this project in place in time for students to return to school in the fall; there's a month left for them to do a traffic study and the whole summer for installation, if we all act now.
There is also a severe traffic problem on Ola in front of Forest Hills Elementary -- speeding, parents parking in the street to walk their children into the school building, parking illegally in residents' yards, generally disregarding adult and minor pedestrians' safety, etc. This also needs to be addressed. A number of parents drive their children to school when they could walk, some because of the traffic problems on Linebaugh, some due to the unsafe situation along Ola. This just adds to the traffic problem on Ola as well as on School Street. A request for a traffic solution to this mess also needs a mass mailing to get the city's attention.
To begin these requests, go to the city web site: TampaGov.net. Send your email to the mayor's office; it will be forwarded to the appropriate departments (traffic planning dept. as well as TPD) plus those depts. will have to copy all correspondence with you to the mayor's office; you will also be able to track the results of your request. For your friends & neighbors who do not have internet access, ask them to call city hall and be connected to the TRAFFIC PLANNING DIVISION.
PLEASE -- let's get on this right away. If you have any other solutions to suggest for these problems, please reply to this posting.
Also, when you send your email to the city regarding these isues, please leave a reply to this posting so that we will know how many people participated. You don't have to use your real name.
Thanks for helping to make our neighborhood a little safer. Working together, we can make it happen.
