Arlington County police will be stepping up enforcement and a traffic safety education next week as students go back to school.
The first day of school for Arlington Public Schools is Monday, meaning more children walking, bicycling, and riding the bus around Arlington.
With back-to-school time around the corner, the police department is reminding people to follow the rules of the road. A new press release urges drivers to watch for students, follow posted speed limits — which have been lowered to 20 mph around several schools — and to put down their phones.
“Transportation safety is a shared responsibility and it is up to all of us to keep our students safe by following the rules of the road,” the release said. “ACPD will conduct a high-visibility transportation safety campaign in and around school zones and bus stops to ensure the trip to class is as safe as possible.”
The campaign will include enforcement as well as variable message boards with safety messages.
“With a little awareness and prevention, all travelers can arrive at their destinations in a timely and safe manner,” said ACPD.
The release also notes some new initiatives, including “Walking School Buses” with dedicated volunteers and adding more speed humps near schools.
“Reducing vehicle speeds is fundamental to reducing severe crashes, and speed humps are a useful tool for decreasing speeds on neighborhood roads,” the press release says. “Arlington has not added new speed humps in the last decade. The County plans to reintroduce speed humps through a limited pilot focused on reducing speeds in school slow zones where the introduction of 20 mph speed limits has not resulted in lower speeds.”
“The pilot will begin at three sites: S. Lang Street near Gunston Middle School, S. Queen Street near Hoffman Boston Elementary, and 19th Street N. near Cardinal Elementary,” the release continues. “The pilot will assess speeds and operations before and after the introduction of the tactical speed humps, as well as community input. Additional speed hump sites may be considered in additional school zones following the initial installations.”
More, below, from ACPD.
With students returning to the classroom on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, there will soon be an increase in children walking, bicycling, and riding the bus to schools throughout Arlington. Transportation safety is a shared responsibility and it is up to all of us to keep our students safe by following the rules of the road. The Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) will conduct a high-visibility transportation safety campaign in and around school zones and bus stops to ensure the trip to class is as safe as possible.
Variable message boards will be placed along roadways in Arlington to raise awareness about the start of the school year and to share important safety messaging. With a little awareness and prevention, all travelers can arrive at their destinations in a timely and safe manner.
