HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Though the Hutchinson City Council voted earlier this month not to pursue a traffic light at 30th and Lucille, they are still trying to help with the situation at Prairie Hills Middle School by changing the times that the school zone speed limit is in effect. That item is on Tuesday's council agenda.
If approved, the school zone time periods are to be amended to 7:15 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. on days school is in session. This change was needed because USD 313 has had to stagger its school start times due to a shortage of bus drivers.
Also looking to help with the situation is the Reno County Commission, at least by taking a closer look at Lucille between 30th and 43rd.
"I'd like to propose that we take a field trip to the Prairie Hills Middle School area and have a conversation," said Reno County Commission Chair Daniel Friesen. "The intersection is kind of an ongoing issue, but the road there has been brought up time and time again. Lucille, it's a very narrow road. It's not designed for children or bus traffic."
The issue is that it is half township road and half in the city and the township likely doesn't have the money to change it.
"Some agency needs to take a leadership role in trying to bring everybody together to resolve it, even if we don't have full jurisdiction," Friesen said. "It's in my district and I've gotten multiple requests."
A date has not been set yet to get the school, township, city and county together to talk.