COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Student safety is a big concern for one of our News5 viewers.
Scott Konnath says a school bus stop on Pine Manor Drive in Colorado Springs needs to be relocated due to speeding cars, blind curves, and students having to cross the road to access the bus stop.
"They don't have a good spot to cross. We start seeing people jaywalking," said Konnath.
He says he has been raising concerns for years with the city traffic engineer and Academy School District 20 (D20). He's asking whether the stop could be moved closer to the roundabout on Pine Manor Drive.
News5 reached out to D20 to ask why the school bus stop has to stay here and why it can't be moved to the roundabout.
D20 says student safety is its top priority. The district provides over 800 bus stops, with approximately 100 buses operating throughout the district.
They say each bus stop is reviewed before the school year begins, based on safety standards such as speed limits, bike lanes, sidewalks and walking paths to the bus stops.
Bus stops are reviewed against National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) guidelines and local laws to determine bus stops.
The district also says it follows state regulations from the Colorado Department of Education (CDE). According to the regulation under 1 CCR 301-26, Section 19.8, the district states that it prohibits a bus stop within 200 feet of a controlled intersection.
D20 says roundabouts are considered controlled intersections. That's why they say placing bus stops near controlled intersections, such as traffic circles, is prohibited.
The district also says loading and unloading students around roundabouts could be unsafe, especially during the winter months.
Konnath says he's also concerned about overgrown vegetation, which could block views for students and drivers.
"All these canopies, real low," said Konnath.
D20 says when issues like that are reported, it will reach out to the HOA or local municipalities to address them.
“I don’t want to see any of the kids from my side of the neighborhood getting hit because they don’t have a safe place to cross this road," said Konnath.
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