| Show Ct 1 VJ l t s' s zt f i i T K f Y Ji M a V 1 u F fl y tE S T a V S f j 1 J 1 t 1 t f t 1 j i If 1 5 f tt 1 1 P i f 4 c. c t 1 atil 1 r l tf l a S' S 11 2 r Y 1 1 y 1 1 1 f y 1 l f a S I if i c f J L F V i f r. r A P Redwood Road Hazard to Life Lifer I J WHERE WILL THE BUCK STOP Carbon Copy Governor Calvin L. L Rampton I tg t Irit 1 g i 1 TT k kE E aA i y tr v i r r i 2 Ir rM f i d n P y i Sy EISENHOWER JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WALK TO SCHOOL G A AMID MID HE HEAVY A V Y T TRAFFIC R A F F I CON ON RED REDWOOD WOO D R ROAD 0 AD o EVE EVERY R Y M MORNING 0 R N IN 1 to too o T L. L By MIKE DAME Points West Staff 1 l Less Less than three weeks ago agoa a a two year old Taylorsville boy died in an open canal near Utah Technical College JAM a at South Redwood road only a few yards from the college The canal is not the only problem Everyday in front of the college and Eisenhower Junior High hundreds of cars pass the two schools at high speeds Each hour during the day is a rush every motorist traveling this this' state highway Each hour is a rush hour because because because be be- cause Redwood Road cannot handle the volume of traffic for which it is forced to provide Everyday there are traffic j jams ms from all four fourpoints fourpoints points at one of its busiest intersections at South c 1 Change Wanted 7 a f Everyone seems to want to give Redwood Road an an overhaul reconstruct ng it to rz increase the volume vol me of traffic it must handle But everyday students ts attending attending attending at at- tending Eisenhower Junior High are forced to walk along r either side of the busy busy- highway highway high- high F way in mud or gravel for there are no sidewalks al along ng t the roadside Everyday children walk passed a deep open canal within a few feet of the road road- J way At one point on the east eastside side of the highway directly across from the south entrance to the canal is less than five feet from the edge of the road The only protection is a two foot high rail guard rail guard there is no shoulder of the road at atc att t c this point Several cars have haves have's s 's si t i yI y- y I r i tJ 1 t. t i 4 T I t r rS- rS t. t r jr j. j r j d been stranded in the bottom of the canal at this point inthe in inthe inthe the past High Speeds All along Redwood road are signs with SPEED LIMIT J L IMI T t 50 printed in bold florescent t letters Near Eisenhower Junior High there is one convenience for the young pedestrians pe pe- s signs signs that gns say School Zone with flashing yellow lights during school hours This is one of the few naked conveniences they do have Why is this hazard allowed to go can be done about it The answer to the latter question is this almost nothing can be done about it presently according to the state laws that pertain to state highways Principal Comments Comments' In answer to the first question Eisenhower J Junior High Principal Dr Maurice Murice Johnson says the problem has existed for several yearS years but according to state laws the State Highway Department II f cannot construct sidewalks sidewalks along along along a- a long a state highway The lIfe Department Department Department De De- can however replace replace replace re re- place sidewalks they damage but they are not allowed to maintain them afterwards Dr Johnson says the county will not take responsibility responsibility responsibility to correct the problem because they are bound by law not to tamper with state high high- ways The community is in the same situation says Dr Johnson and also have no authority to do an thing about the problem The new residential zon- zon r or v J j s I I i t II r fIN 0 t J J ing laws in the area have put puts a astop astop stop to the children walking through fields along bicycle paths and other trails to get to school They formerly used used these trails frails trails to avoid avoid Redwood d dI 4 I r I Road r. r i o- o The citizens have taken little or no action because as one official said it is hard to convince some of the farmers along afung Redwood Road to pay for construction of sidewalks in front of their alfalfa fields Last year a bill was present presented presented pre pre- sent d to the legislature to change the ruling the Highway Department has restricting them from building sidewalks The bill was turned down by a narrow margin of three votes 1 t. t L human life Dr Johnson said We have made a fantastic amount of progress Shuttle Bus System The newly constructed junior high school has started a shuttle bus system so the students do not have to walk down the side of the highway But the eye tells a different story Each day the students continue to walk down the highway on both sides with cars streaming passed them Flashing yellow lights have been installed and the Sheriffs Sheriff's Department patrols the area daily in case an accident accident accident acc acc- ident should occur Dr Johnson says the administration administration administration ad ad- ministration of the school have arranged their class schedules in order to miss the peak traffic periods during the day thus offering students some protection J x t. t I 1 S 1 l con cont t. t from col cot 3 3 Of No One Responsible What do we have We have a State Highway Department Department Department Depart Depart- ment that can not take responsibility cespon- cespon to correct the Redwood Redwood Redwood Red Red- wood Road problem a County Highway Department that says the same and a City that has its hands tied No Advocates Assistant Superintendent of the Central Valley Complex Dr Willis Wynn sums the problem up There doesn't appear to be an advocate for pedestrian thorough-fares thorough in inthe inthe inthe the state Dr Df Wynn says that most agencies are worried more about how to handle more traffic on our highways not about how to protect the pe pe- pe- pe t. t r- r Ji c The kids are forced to walk on non-existent non shoulders should should- ers or in the road road said Dr Wynn of the problem In front of UTe there is a small frontage road which says Dr Wynn and the State Highway Department question who's responsibility it is to maintain the deteriorated deteriorated deteriorated orated sidewalk along side of the road But says Dr Wynn The Sheriffs Sheriff's Department does an excellent job fob in cooperating with us on salty measures The Central Valley Complex Complex Complex Com Com- plex which administrates the activities of several school districts districts districts dis dis- dis- dis in Salt Lake City has been concerned for a long longtime longtime longtime time about the situation Dr Wynn stated their position position position po po- on the matter We feel someone must be responsible for pedestrian traffic w fr a s fD r Z Jj I w 4 f rw 1 r cF c a at F t fr frn n m y T ru a SOME WARNING SIG SIGNS S ARE ALONG REDWOOD ROAD DO MOTORISTS MOTORIST'S REA REALLY LY HEED Students Just a reminder for you to catch some som of these upcoming motion pictures to be shown in the north by south west corner of the basement of the New Student Student Student St St- St- St Center October 32 to the of Ju July Iy alternating bi Naga which has soared to new heights in Europe and staring 1 1 t c that pie throwing cutie Ursula Hy and soupy smells Andy Hardy works for the underworld by Hermann Dante and Julieus will awill be shown in that big factory at Nephi when ever it itis itis itis is recovered from the seventh level I s y Ti a SP SPEED ED LIMIT e 4 5 c o gc Ff S II iy v vI I Ji I 0 j i 4 1 ii SPEED LIMIT 50 S SIGNS IG N S O OCCUR CC U R A ALL L L ALONG REDWOOD ROAD No Funds Superintendent of Building and Grounds Joe Johnson explained that a detour detour detour de de- tour roadway has been in the planning for some time and that will attempt to cooperate with the State Road Commission a and nd nd Granite School District in t 1 the matter Mr Johnson says says says' the Redwood Redwood Redwood Red Red- wood Road problem is no great hazard to our students but it is to the Eisenhower Junior High Students Johnson said the Highway can not put in more stop lights because that would make things more dangerous dangerous dangerous dan dan- to the children and increase the traffic problem Of the new road planning Superintendent Johnson said The College and the State Building Board have given the State Highway Department permission to build the road but there are no funds at this time Johnson said another big problem is the open cana canal where the drowning three weeks ago More Problems It Another no ther problem says Johnson is the Fron frontage tage road in front of Kids walk down the middle of the frontage frontage frontage front front- age road in front of the school to see if they can walk the white line If this keeps happening happening happening hap hap- pening there may be an acci acci- den dent t. t Solution What needs to be done What can be done Principal Dr Maurice Johnson sees one of the vital needs when he says We have a crying need not only to take care of the pedestrians but to make i someone responsible e to find a 1 solution to the problem i iu u t y I to f ff f fi A i y k Ah ik i h t f X T w ar Y J t C CARS RS PILE OUT OF PARKING LOT AT RUSH HOURS DURING OTAY rJ AY |
