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A 55 mph school zone? That's the case in Coweta County

Parents can't make sense of the speed limit at a critical intersection for young drivers.

COWETA COUNTY, Ga. — Hundreds of private school parents in Coweta County are sounding the alarm about a school zone speed limit.

No one at Trinity Christian School in Sharpsburg can make sense of a 55 mph school zone. Many of the staff and parents have hounded officials before, but nothing has happened. 

"I am just waiting for the accident, waiting for the sound," Steve Smeal, a parent of a Trinity Christian School student. "The cars traveling at 55 mph, through a school zone, with this much traffic, it's just not a safe environment for anybody,."

That crash happened last week, a teacher got hit in a car accident, and both cars were totaled. 

When driving through the area, people cross from Fayette County to Coweta. And just when drivers hit the county line, the limit changes from 45 mph to 55 mph rolling right passed the school. 

"Most of the parents I have talked to, they won't even let their kids make a left right here; they make them go up to the light," Smeal said.

Credit: WXIA

The school has tried to get a traffic light installed, he said, or lower the speed limit on the road but was denied. Even Smeal has tried to get an answer from the state but hasn't heard much. 

"It's the typical red tape," he said. "It's the traditional hide behind a phone number; we are working on it." 

A spokesperson with the Georgia Department of Transportation said they would conduct a speed study on that stretch of road right now and evaluate how to increase school signage in the area.

The department went on the say that they would need to use these studies and also complete "engineering studies" to make sure that solving this problem doesn't create new ones. 

Whatever the state is doing, Smeal says he doesn't care how they do it; he just wants it done. 

"That's not my job. My job here is to say that 55mph in a school zone is not safe; that's common sense," he said. 

The Trinity Christian parents started a petition to try and lower the speed limit in front of the school - in just a week; it has over 500 signatures.

Their full statement read: 

GDOT is conducting a speed study of the four-lane section of SR 34 and SR 54 beginning west of the Fischer Road intersection and ending at the Fayette County line. GDOT will also be conducting a speed study of the two-lane section of SR 54 beginning at the Fischer Road intersection and ending at the SR 34 intersection to determine if a school zone is appropriate. 

Many factors go into evaluating a stretch of road for appropriate school speed zone limits. In determining an appropriate school zone speed limit, many engineering studies are completed in order to ensure that addressing one concern does not make way for new safety issues. 

We will continue to work with Coweta County and school officials, to ensure that appropriate speed limits identified, enforced and relevant signs are posted to address the concerns brought to us.

   

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