Chapter 7: Community SRTS Open House Event

C HA P T E R 7 : C O M M U N I TY S R T S O PE N H O U S E E V E N T

On Wednesday, August 31, 2016 from 4:00-7:00 pm, the Rothsay school held a community open house to welcome everyone to the new school year. Due to a poor attendance record at previous SRTS Open House events in other communities, it was decided by the team that it may be more fruitful to go to the people instead of trying to get the people to come to them. As such, it was decided to present the project and get community feedback at the school’s Open House. Members of the community were able to meet some of the SRTS team, learn how SRTS works, and help envision what a more walkable, bikeable community could look like. Available to the community members at the open house were the results from the strengths, barriers and opportunities analysis seen in the previous chapter.

Comments from members of the community are as follows and not edited. They are not listed in any priority order.

Wednesday August 31, 2016 Community SRTS Open House Comments

1 Concerns about traffic safety on 3rd Ave Northwest.

2 Concerns about the safety of the railroad crossing.

3 Concerns about the volume of traffic on Center Street.

P a g e 94 | Chapter 7: Community SRTS Open House Event

Figure 46: A reproduction of the map with “Post-It Note” comments from the August 31st 2016 Rothsay school Open House.

Chapter 7: Community SRTS Open House Event | P a g e 95

In addition to the public comments above, during the SRTS study period, a letter to the editor of the Rothsay Regional Report was published and related concerns about the safety of children walking and biking to and from the Rothsay school. The author, Deb Sherette, is a resident on 3rd Avenue NW (the Dump Road.) For many years, she has observed the traffic and the students who attend the Rothsay school. Her letter, in its entirety, is as follows:

Rothsay Regional Report – Week of May 23rd 2016

TO THE EDITOR:

Open letter to the Rothsay School District.

I have written to the school board with my concerns, and received no response. I do not have children in school so I am not part of the school system or its committees.

I do live on the “dump road” in Rothsay, which is d1rectly south of the Rothsay School building.

I believe the new school was in the works for the past five years, perhaps longer. With the voting, the construction and now the first complete year of school and still there is no signage for crossing the county highway 'Old 52' or Highway 88.

I am not sure why this was not addressed, however, being outside a lot in the fall and spring of the year working in the gardens in our yard, I have seen countless close calls of children getting hit/hurt by vehicles that have no idea there is a school right down the road!

There must be some sort of school flashing signage on the road in front of the truck stop area. A lot of semi traffic is in and out all day long, and for whatever reason, children are walking on that highway instead of crossing the highway and walking on the gravel road by the newly relocated fire hall. I would hope that kids are instructed to stay away from the highway... however, I have seen a couple of times where a semi has to literally slam on its brakes because a child will dart out of the ditch to cross the street.

I know there are finally signs on the old highway 52 in front of the school that do list a reduced speed limit now when children are present...there are no flashing lighted signs that I have seen yet.

As child safety is paramount, I am really shocked that this was not addressed during the year and a half of construction.

Perhaps parents can be crossing guards, as the bike path from the school dumps out right on old Highway 52 with no crosswalk signs at all.

P a g e 96 | Chapter 7: Community SRTS Open House Event

The gravel road between the school and Third Avenue NW (the dump road) sees a huge increase in traffic, as does the dump road. I have asked that a four-way stop be placed at the comer of First Street NW and Third Avenue NW to help slow traffic down.

With the new bank being built on the comer, and the fire hall to be relocated to this area, the traffic pattern has increased in this area of town. This is the area of town where the children are walking riding bike and riding four-wheelers back and forth to school.

I would hope that the “safe route to school” initiative would have included the proper signage for safe crossing areas for children coming and going to school, yet so far...after a couple years of planning and construction and now an entire school year...nothing has been done.

We must act before we lose a child to a senseless accident. We cannot prevent 100% of things that happen, however, we can try to do everything to help prevent as many accidents as possible!!

A concerned citizen of Rothsay.

Deb Sherette

Chapter 7: Community SRTS Open House Event | P a g e 97