Schools
Hopkins Aims to Slow Traffic by Schools
Residents may see new speed limit signs as well as the removal of street parking between Eighth and Ninth Avenue.
Hopkins may remove some on-street parking and put in more warning signs in an effort to slow traffic near and .
Those possibilities are the result of a safety review of road conditions surrounding the schools. The department analyzed the routes used by children who are walking to school and students who are dropped off—as well as the general traffic surrounding the schools.
Alice Smith has the most children walking to school and has a thorough school crossing guard program, the study concluded. Public Works Director Steve Stadler said he felt very positive about the safety of the students of Alice Smith Elementary.
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"The school crossing guard program seems outstanding to me," he said. "And the fact that there is an all-way stop at the intersection of Minnetonka Mills Road and Ninth Avenue helps a lot."
Although there has not been an accident in history on the streets surrounding Alice Smith Elementary, Stadler said that does not mean that change is unnecessary. He worries about the speed of traffic as well as the parking on the street between Eighth and Ninth avenues.
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He said the city could put in at least two more signs on the streets reading, “Speed limit 20 when children are present.” It could also prohibit parking on Minnetonka Mills Road, which would mean more parking in front of the nearby homes.
St. John's is a different story. Although fewer students walk to school, there are virtually no sidewalks on the parallel streets Preston and Boyce that lead to school property.
Road safety is an especially prominent topic at St. John’s. In an incident unrelated to the Hopkins study, a St. John’s student Tuesday in Minnetonka. Sam Seward, 10, .
Council backed Mayor Gene Maxwell's idea to put a warning sign east of Interlachen Road. The city could install the sign after consulting with St. John's.
Police cruisers may also monitor both schools during high traffic times to assess the changes in traffic and speed. Alice Smith and St. John's will be consulted to get an idea of what changes they would like to see and decisions will be made from there.
