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Politics & Government

SP Council Discusses School-Zone Traffic

The township may cut the number of crossing guards at the elementary schools at midday.

The Scotch Plains mayor and council examined traffic concerns around the elementary schools during their conference meeting Tuesday night.

Sgt. Ernie Hernandez of the Scotch Plains Police Department attended the meeting to outline a proposed plan that would make cuts to the number of crossing guards around the elementary schools during lunch hours. Currently there are 11 crossing guards that work the one-hour lunch shift, making between $17 and $19.50 an hour.

“The impact to the schools is minimal because there really isn’t anyone that walks home,” Hernandez said. “If they do walk, it’s with their parents.”

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Hernandez estimated the proposal would save about $36,000 over the course of one year.

The council also looked at a loophole concerning parking safety on Evergreen Avenue and Sunrise Court. There is a two-hour midday gap when parents are able to park along both sides of the road in front of Evergreen Elementary School, causing traffic and a safety hazard when kids run across the street to meet their parents. Mayor Nancy Malool said a change would "take two-hour restricted parking and make one side of it no parking at all in order to make it safer when kids have to cross the street.”

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Hernandez noted that during school hours “most residents are at work. If not, they will just have to park in their driveways.”

 

 

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