HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-24-22 Public Comment - E. Mason - Safe Routes to School Safety ConcernFrom:Terry Cunningham
To:Agenda
Subject:Fw: Safe Routes to School Safety Concern
Date:Monday, October 24, 2022 9:03:54 AM
Forwarding since the email says its intended audience is "School & Community Leaders."
Terry Cunningham - City Commissioner
City of Bozeman | 121 North Rouse Avenue | P.O. Box 1230 | Bozeman, MT 59771
P: 406.595-3295 | E: Tcunningham@bozeman.net | W: www.bozeman.net
From: Emily Mason <emilykmason@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2022 7:35 PM
To: Terry Cunningham <TCunningham@BOZEMAN.NET>; casey.bertram@bsd7.org
<casey.bertram@bsd7.org>; gordon.grissom@bsd7.org <gordon.grissom@bsd7.org>;
will.dickerson@bsd7.org <will.dickerson@bsd7.org>
Subject: Safe Routes to School Safety Concern
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Dear School and Community Leaders,
I am writing to all four of you because the parents in my neighborhood are all extremelyconcerned with the safety of school children. Since Arnold Street was punched through, the
intersection of Arnold and Westridge has become extremely dangerous for school children,not to mention school staff. SMS students who ride their bikes home from school typically
blow through the stop sign at the intersection on their way home from school. Driverstypically drive WAY too fast, including school staff (trust me, I've seen them driving faster
than the speed limit) on this stretch of road. It's easy to do - it's a very long stretch of road withnothing to slow drivers down. This is a recipe for disaster.
I very much appreciate the speed boxes that were put in on both sides of Morning Star
Elementary. However, drivers seem to care nothing about what speed they are driving. Theremust be a 4-way stop installed to slow drivers down, before a student is killed. Staff who work
the intersection have almost been side-swiped at this intersection and at the traffic circle atGraf and 3rd. School children have to play chicken with cars at the 3rd and Westridge
intersection. What are you all going to do make this school route safe?
I have tried to figure out who to contact in the Streets department but it seems that no one everreturns phone calls. I'm guessing there is high turnover in the office and the department is
overwhelmed with similar concerns that I have.
With the recent death of our beloved BHS teacher, you MUST act now. You MUST all workTOGETHER to make sure our kids are safe on their way to school, at school, and on their way
home from school. I am writing to you all directly not to be rude or disrespectful. I am writingto you because you all need to prioritize this safety issue.
PLEASE install a 4-way stop at Arnold and Westridge.
PLEASE put in a large striped crosswalk and proper pedestrian crossing signage (not some
random yard sign) at the intersection of 3rd and Westridge.
PLEASE increase occasional police presence to ticket and pullover speeding drivers. The onlyway people will begin to slow down is if they get a consequence and/or see others getting a
negative consequence (just like children - it's basic cause and effect). No consequence, nobehavior change.
As Bozeman grows, we all have a responsibility to make sure our kids are safe, both in and out
of school. I'm more than happy to help but you all are the ones in the positions of power tomake these things happen. Please don't let another of our beloved school community members
meet a tragic death due to inaction. We must start NOW.
I do appreciate your respective and collective commitment to our children and our community.I appreciate your leadership on important matters facing Bozeman. I know what you do is
hard. Keep doing your best.
Respectfully,
Emily K. Mason
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Emily K. Mason
