With the traffic speed sensors and cameras recently installed around a number of Issaquah schools, and Washington State Patrol officers targeting schools in Sammamish this month, school zone safety is getting plenty of attention of late.

But for the parents and teachers at Elizabeth Blackwell Elementary, the battle to make the streets outside their school a safe place has been going on for years.

The Reporter this week spoke with Tami Vogeler and Laura Peterson, co-chairs of the Blackwell PTSA Safety Committee, and saw first hand the problems with traffic in front of the school that they fear is jeopardizing the safety of their students.

In the 10 minutes prior to the students going in for classes at 9 a.m., the car park and intersection into the school turn into a chaotic traffic jam, with many drivers disobeying the witches hats and signs set up by the safety committee, not to mention official road regulations and city signs.

The problem for Blackwell is that the school sits on 205th Avenue Place Northeast, which serves not just parents driving their children to school, but also acts as the main arterial for the neighborhoods around the Sahalee Golf and Country Club.

Between 8.40 and 9 a.m., when parents are rushing to get their children to school on time, the two lanes of 205th are also busy with morning commuters.

As bad as things are now, it used to be worse.

Three years ago, with little or no pedestrian safety measures in place, Peterson decided that something had to be done.

She worked with City of Sammamish Transportation Engineer Steven Chen and Sammamish Police Sergeant Robert Baxter in getting a raised cross walk and bike lanes put in, as well as a crosswalk between the car park and the school.

But still, every morning and afternoon a dedicated crew of students and parent volunteers need to be on hand to make sure children make it safely across 205th.

“Right now, I have heart palpitations daily watching parents drop off their kids because of the unsafe traffic situation in and around Blackwell, Peterson said. “Honestly, we pray for a bubble of safety and protection around our school.”

“This is an area of great concern,” Vogeler said. “Laura and I both have a passion for the safety of our children and have spent many hours educating our community and trying to make it a safer place for the children.”

“Patrolling and enforcing the law in school zones is extremely important – it only takes a second for a tragedy to hit and completely change your life. “

Standing with the two concerned parents in front of the school on Monday morning, it is clear that issue of the school zone traffic is bigger than a few witches hats and a cross walk.

Peterson said that it was about educating drivers, and providing them with ways to avoid the congestion prior to 9 a.m.

“We see this safety issue for our kids requiring a many-faceted approach with leadership coming from both the school district and the city,” she said.

“Tami and I met with our principal last week to ask him what he and the district could do, in partnership with parent volunteers and driver education.”

Peterson said that commuters could avoid the frustrating congestion of that 15 minute window by moving their trip forward or back just a few minutes.

She also said that the safety committee was hoping parents could volunteer just half an hour of their time as traffic wardens.

At the moment, there is a small core of volunteer traffic wardens, with students filling on a rotating basis.

Peterson and Vogeler agreed that a greater police presence would help remind drivers to be more cautious.

“No matter how much we remind and educate parents about driver safety, nothing educates like a ticket from a police officer in a busy school zone,” Peterson said. “We desperately need the presence of as many officers as we can get to ensure that all our kids are safe.”

“And because the district moves so slowly on initiatives, the police can influence change far more effectively and quickly.”

Blackwell Principal Stephen Bryant said that in the past, police had been called in to help remedy dangerous situations.

“We’ve had a few close calls in the past, and in those instances, we have reported motorists to the Sammamish Police,” he said.

“The arterial road in front of the school presents a great challenge for the safety committee.”

“In the morning and the afternoon, within 15 or so minutes of the bell, the school area is clear – I just hope that drivers recognize that for the sake of a minute or two, it is not worth putting a child or a parent volunteer in danger.”