COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Vista Ridge High School has updated its morning drop-off procedures for the new school year, closing the front loop to through traffic and directing parents to a designated carpool path to improve safety for students and buses.
Starting at 7:00 a.m., the front loop is closed to allow buses easy access to campus and a safe drop-off for students. Parents dropping off students are asked to follow the carpool path and enter on Wolf Ridge.
The school is also warning parents not to drop students off northbound in front of the school on Black Forest Road and have them cross the street. The school says there is no safe crosswalk in that area. The school also notes that U-turns are illegal at that location and subject to a ticket from Colorado Springs Police Department.
Parents say the clearly marked lanes and updated procedures are a welcomed addition, particularly for students who recently got their licenses and are still navigating busy school zones.
The City of Colorado Springs also made infrastructure updates in the area. City Traffic Engineer Todd Frisbie said the city's contributions included installing school flashers on Black Forest Road and Dublin Boulevard, along with striping changes on Dublin between Peterson and Black Forest as part of the Dublin project.
Frisbie said city staff also communicates with District 49 about ideas, and the district may have implemented additional changes, but the city is not aware of any other infrastructure changes beyond the flashers.
District 49 credited its city and county partners for the broader safety improvements.
"The installation of new lights and signs around high-traffic areas near our schools adds an extra measure of visibility to marked school zones which are in place for the safety of everyone traveling to and from campus by car, bus, bicycle or on foot throughout the day. We encourage everyone to stay alert during their commute and adhere to posted speed limits in our school zones, which become busy places, especially as we start the school year," District 49 said.
School leaders are asking students, parents, and drivers to be patient as everyone adjusts to the new traffic patterns.
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