School zone lights an inexact project

With students and teachers back on the job, the flashing lights of school zones are also back on duty.
With six schools in the city and school zones surrounding each, the 20 mph school zones require vigilance from officials to make sure the lights are all working.
Problems arise when lights are on or off at the wrong times, adding confusion to whether the speed limit is 20 mph or a bit higher.
But Bill Beasley, Pittsburg director of public works, said the city works with schools to figure out when the lights need to be on.
“They’re on a timer,” Beasley said. “During the school year, we turn them off and on the timer. If a school is in class from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., they’ll go on and flash from 7 to 4:30 and then go off. Normally, we deal with the schools to determine when exactly those lights need to be on.”
On occasion, those lights are not on during school hours. That’s a problem that could be caused by several factors.
“If the light burns out, we have to replace that light,” Beasley said. “Some are solar lights, while others are on a meter. Sometimes something happens to the electricity or the power, and other times people knock them out.”
The opposite of that problem occurs when the lights are on when there is no school.
The timers are specific enough to allow the lights to turn off during weekend days, but there are certain logistical issues that prevent the lights from being turned off for a holiday.
“It’s one of those deals where we set it up and leave it on,” Beasley said. “If we turn one off for Labor Day, for example, then we have to come out by the next morning to turn them on the next day.”
The two-person traffic communication department in Pittsburg handles the school zone lights. It is a small department, but it has a lot of responsibility, with street signs, traffic control signs, as well as the school zone lights.”
Ultimately, the school zone lights are merely a reminder to drivers to slow down during class times. Beasley said flashing lights should not be the end-all for whether a person is careful in a school zone and that people should always be careful when kids could be around.

Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 ext. 132.