Drivers will encounter new 40 km/h speed limits around every elementary school in Windsor when students return to class next week. The City of Windsor has spent the summer installing new signs designating school areas as community safety zones, with parking enforcement supervisor Bill Kralovensky saying the work is nearly complete ahead of the first day of school on Sept. 8. Kralovensky said the new signs will be in place at all 55 elementary schools across Windsor’s four school boards. “Speed limits have been drastically reduced in all these areas,” Kralovensky said while standing near Queen Victoria Public School. “We are going to be enforcing these. We’re going to be working very closely with Windsor police to have these areas monitored.” Some of the new areas are designated as community safety zones, where fines for certain offences can be doubled. Kralovensky said the changes are intended to improve safety for children walking, cycling, and travelling to and from school. “It’s the safety of your kids, my kids, my grandkids, everywhere,” he said. “Please be aware.” The new speed limits are among several reminders being issued ahead of the return to class, as motorists prepare for more children, school buses and pedestrians on area roads. Kralovensky said parking and stopping violations continue to be a concern around schools, particularly during the busy morning drop-off and afternoon pickup periods. Drivers are being urged to pay attention to no stopping and no parking zones and to look for designated kiss-and-ride areas. Parents dropping children off on the opposite side of the street are also being encouraged to walk with them rather than allowing them to dart between parked vehicles. “If you’re running late, what’s an extra minute?” Kralovensky said. “Please be safe.” Parking enforcement officers will focus on education during the first week or two of the school year, particularly for parents who may be unfamiliar with a school’s traffic and parking rules, he said. Drivers can also use the City of Windsor’s Map My City app to identify areas where parking is permitted near individual schools. The new school-year safety push comes after Windsor reported a 17 per cent reduction in school-zone traffic tickets over the last school year. Kralovensky said he hopes drivers can continue that trend. “So, let’s go Windsor,” he said. “Let’s keep that going.” Meanwhile, Essex County OPP say officers will increase their attention on school zones and bus routes as students return to class. Const. Stephanie Caron said motorists need to get back into the mindset that children will once again be walking, cycling, and waiting at bus stops. “Kids are going to be back at the bus stop. They might be walking; they might be on their bikes. So, let’s be aware,” Caron said. Police will also be watching for drivers who fail to obey school bus stopping rules. Motorists approaching a school bus displaying flashing amber lights should slow down and prepare to stop. Once the bus’s red lights are flashing and its stop arm is extended, drivers must stop. “Once those red lights and that extended arm are out, you need to stop,” Caron said. “There is no negotiating. You have to stop for a bus.” Failing to stop for or passing a stopped school bus can result in fines ranging from $400 to $2,000 and six demerit points, according to police. Caron noted that lower speed limits are intended to encourage drivers to slow down and remain alert for children, who may not always be paying attention to traffic. “It’s a school zone. You’ve got to watch out for the signs… kids dart out and they aren’t always paying attention to you on the road,” she said. Students across the region are scheduled to return to school on Sept. 8.
