New traffic rules implemented
The portion of Martin Luther King Drive located between the two main entrance driveways of Kemper County High School will now be closed between 2:40-3:40 p.m. each school day in an effort make it safer for the students to exit the campus.
The move, which had earlier been approved the by the DeKalb Board of Aldermen, became effective this past Monday. The city had already upgraded the speed bumps in front of the school.
“This was definitely a problem area especially, at dismissal time,” Kemper County Superintendent of Schools Hilute Hudson said. “The traffic was making it hard not only for our busses but for our car riders. And we take the safety, of not only our students, but everybody seriously. It was hazardous for everybody.”
Mayor Clark Adams said the town of DeKalb was more than happy to partner with the school district to make the change happen.
“Anything that is going to help as far as safety for the kids crossing the road and the traffic coming through is just a good idea,” he said.
The school had painted the three crosswalks across the road on Oct. 31.
Stephen Jackson, director of safety, security & maintenance for the school district, said that they will also have a school official directing traffic in front of the school during that time as well. He also noted that it was imperative that something be done to slow down traffic in front of the school, and said this move would definitely help.
“It was critical to the safety of the kids and also the residents,” Jackson said. “We have a lot of people from out of town who take alternate ways rather than 16 and there has been a lot of incidents where we have had near fatal accidents involving the kids, so we wanted to take precautions to take care of it.”
He said that while this may not be the final move, that something had to be done.
“This is a way to be proactive, rather than not do anything,” he said. “This is a way that I thought would work and the town was on board with it.”