It’s back to school for many East Texas students. Local and state law enforcement remind motorist to use caution when approaching school zones and observe flashing lights at school crossings.

School flashers will be in operation in marked school speed zones beginning Monday, August 27, 2012, between the hours of 7 to 9 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. with the following exceptions:

  • West Loop 323 near John Tyler High School – This school speed zone will be in effect between the hours of 8 to 8:45 a.m. and 4 to 4:45 p.m.
  • South Donnybrook Avenue near Robert E. Lee High School – This school speed zone will be in effect between the hours of 8 to 8:45 a.m. and 4 to 4:45 p.m.
  • Copeland Road at Hubbard Drive – This school speed zone will be in effect between the hours of 7 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 4:30 p.m.
  • Paluxy Drive at Yosemite Drive – This school speed zone will be in effect between the hours of 7 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 4:30 p.m.
  • Old Jacksonville Highway at Silverwood Drive near Grace Community School – This school speed zone will be in effect between the hours of 7:15 to 8:30 a.m. and 3 to 4 p.m. on Monday through Thursday.  Friday hours are 7:15 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 2 p.m.
  • University Boulevard near Grace Community School – This school speed zone will be in effect between the hours of 7:15 to 8:30 a.m. and 3 to 4 p.m. on Monday through Thursday.  Friday hours are 7:15 to 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 2 p.m.
  • Garden Valley Road at Charlotte Drive near Boulter Middle School – This school speed zone will be in effect between 7and 9 a.m. and 3:15 to 4:45 p.m.
  • A new school zone has been added this year for the PACE program at the Alvin V. Anderson Educational Complex on Confederate Avenue between Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Vance Street.  This school speed zone will be in effect between 7:45 to 8:15 a.m.,11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and 3:45 to 4:15 p.m.

School crossing guards will be on duty in designated locations during the hours of the school flasher operations and posted school zone signage.   Crossing guards will raise a hand-held stop paddle and enter the crosswalk in preparation of allowing pedestrians to cross safely.  Motorists are required to stop at pedestrian crossing locations while the school crossing guard is in the street.  All vehicles must wait until the crossing guard returns to the curb before moving through the crossing.

“Our primary focus is safety,” said City of Tyler Traffic Engineer Peter Eng.   “We ask everyone to be patient, plan your route and give yourself plenty of time.  It’s always the most hectic during the first three weeks of a new school year while everyone tries to adjust to a new routine.”

Each school campus has a traffic flow plan available to all parents to provide for the safe loading and unloading of students and also to get cars in and out of the school property as efficiently as possible.

All drivers are asked to review their route to avoid unnecessary delays, be on the lookout for pedestrians walking or biking near schools, and to please remember that the use of hand-held communication devices like cell phones are prohibited in school speed zones.

The Tyler Independent School District daily class schedules are as follows:  All elementary schools 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; middle schools 8:25 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.; and high schools 8:40 a.m. to 4:10 p.m.

For more information about TISD schools and school schedules, go to www.tylerisd.org.  For more information about Grace Community Schools, go to www.gracetyler.org. A list of designated school speed zones is located in the City of Tyler’s code of ordinances at www.cityoftyler.org.  Additional traffic safety information is available on the City of Tyler’s Traffic department web page.

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