ORIGINALLY WRITTEN MIKE AND LISA ALLEN – HILLSBORO
This week when the city activated the new crossing signs in front of Tabor, we thought that perhaps this year wouldn’t be one for near misses as people crossed D Street going to and from Tabor, Ampride or Subway. Then we really learned what the new signs stood for: “Students are allowed to play in the streets.”
As we approached Tabor from the west, we could see a group both on the grass and in the street. We watched a football being kicked directly toward my car, and a young man run backward to catch it.
Rolling about 5 mph, we traversed the distance between the two signs. The students only moved grudgingly to the far lane, and one was brave enough to stand on the yellow line in the middle of the street and talk on his cell phone as we went by them.
We’re curious as to whether the city knew that Tabor students would interpret their signs-which are a wonderful idea-in such a manner. We would hate to be the people who hurt someone in this “play zone” as they travel on D Street. Perhaps Tabor should hold a class on interpretation of street signs.
As far as the signs go, why didn’t the city install a trigger light to turn a signal to red when people want to cross D Street? And for that matter, why didn’t the city install the great big signs-like Tabor’s new ones-on A Street for the students as they walk to the schools?
