What's with the school zone lights?

[flightsimmer]

Has anyone noticed that the new flashing lights in school zones don't appear to be properly set?

I mean the city or the school board spends all that money to buy and install these flashing lights in school zones and when their needed, there not on but after the kids and teachers have left for the day, they are on.
One particular light that I pass every day isn't even positioned in a manner that it can be seen.

It seems that they put them in and walk away.
I don't even see the police patrolling them anymore.
What's up?

 

[KellyinAvon]

I see this every day. Garden City Elementary lights will flashing at 0640, but not at 1620. 1635-1640-ish Bridgeport Elementary will be flashing, sometimes.

 

[VUPDblue]

The new fancy ones were provided by the Feds. They are supposed to be controlled by school officials via software from inside the school. This was to eliminate the lights that used to flash between 0700 to 1630 every weekday. It has become evident to me that the schools are not being consistent or diligent in their programming of the things.

 

[KMaC]

The school zone light at 7800 W 21st only lasted a couple of months before it disappeared, never to return. I assume someone couldn't see an 8 foot tall flashing yellow light and ran over it. The trouble with federal money is that locals never budget for repairs. The beautiful median on 38th St was great until drivers started hitting the retaining walls, knocking out 2-3 sections every block. I'm guessing the city will never repair them.

 

[churchmouse]

The new fancy ones were provided by the Feds. They are supposed to be controlled by school officials via software from inside the school. This was to eliminate the lights that used to flash between 0700 to 1630 every weekday. It has become evident to me that the schools are not being consistent or diligent in their programming of the things.

Have you ever spent any time around office staff in the schools........

 

[Cameramonkey]

Maybe call the school and complain?

 

[eldirector]

Why on God's green Earth do the Fed's have $$$ to give to local K12 schools (or local government) for street signage? Talk about completely out of scope.

On the plus side, it is only a school zone if they are flashing. I rarely see any flashing. 56th and roughly Lafayette Rd (whatever that school is) has never been on when I go through.

 

[BugI02]

Recommend you have a dash-cam record of that if you plan to use that defense

 

[WebSnyper]

At least you have flashing lights. In Avon, we have signs for the start of the school zone, but nothing saying when it ends... Seems like that would be great for a defense case.

 

[Fargo]

At least you have flashing lights. In Avon, we have signs for the start of the school zone, but nothing saying when it ends... Seems like that would be great for a defense case.

Per the statute, that is a legally invalid school zone. Same for the zones where there is a sign giving hours or flashing lights if there are not children present.

 

[Hoosierkav]

It doesn't answer the OP but since we're ganging up on school zones, how many loose kids are there nowadays? My school district has a cow if kids across the street are walked to/from school.

And, why do we treat high schools the same as elementary schools? Or schools 1/8 mile from the street the same as ones on the street?

Anyway.

 

[Trigger Time]

Why on God's green Earth do the Fed's have $$$ to give to local K12 schools (or local government) for street signage? Talk about completely out of scope.

On the plus side, it is only a school zone if they are flashing. I rarely see any flashing. 56th and roughly Lafayette Rd (whatever that school is) has never been on when I go through.

someone got what they wanted in exchange for their vote on something else. Happens all the time.
some rep or senator was able to use this to appeal to his constituents

 

[churchmouse]

someone got what they wanted in exchange for their vote on something else. Happens all the time.
some rep or senator was able to use this to appeal to his constituents

Pork.

 

[actaeon277]

This is what I call the "Good Idea Fairy" (Referred to as GIF).

Some idiot has something to sell, or money that needs to be spent.
So, he has a "Good Idea!".
Never taking into account the future, maintenance, or human nature.

So, something breaks, and you either have to come up with more $$, or have something out there now broken, looking stupid.
Or, something works, but isn't kept up to date because of human nature/laziness/it's not my job.


Examples.
I judge money spent at work by the criteria of: Does it make better steel? Does it make the process cheaper, causing my company to make more money so that they keep employing me.
So, the "Good Idea Fairy" drops by. He wants to put up those programmable electronic LED marquees. With safety messages, messages from corporate, etc.
I casually mention that it's a MORONIC idea. It will not make better steel, or make the process cheaper. And, I point out human nature/laziness will mean that it will be updated for a few weeks, maybe a few months, a year tops. GIF tells me that HE IS IN CHARGE of updating. Cause you know, THAT'S going to put my mind at ease.
Well, it's been up there above our ground floor elevator door for over 5 years with the same message.
I guess I should be happy that it didn't break.


I could bore you and list hundreds more examples.
But, I won't.


The pleasures of life, in a steel mill dealing with corporate office wienies.

 

[Roland of Gilead]

Call 327-4MAC (mayor action center) or DPW dispatch 327-1622 for problems with city assets.

 

[Roland of Gilead]

Some of the old flashers are controlled by the school, 38 and Kiel is one that the school controls.

 

[Thegeek]

School zones after 5th grade need to be eliminated. Once they're in middle school, they should know to look both ways.

 

[Trigger Time]

Govt at its finest. Too many chiefs and they never communicate. Too many restrictions which stop work from being done.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I must admit that I like the idea of the flashing lights. At the very least I think the enforcement times should only be an hour before and after arrival and departure time, and not all day long. At least with the lights (assuming they're used correctly) it makes it easy to tell which schools are in session and which ones aren't. If they were all on the same schedule, then the lights wouldn't be necessary.

 

[KMaC]

I like the flashing lights because it makes the school zone pretty hard to miss, compared to a sign. People seem to obey the flashing lights alot better than the signs. People don't tailgate as bad when you slow down to 25mph if the lights are flashing.