Heads up! New school zone in Cuyahoga County
PARMA HEIGHTS, Ohio (WJW) – More than 20,000 vehicles per day are estimated to pass through Parma Heights on York Road.
“It is one of the main thoroughfares,” said Parma Hts. Detective Eric Taylor. “It’s two lanes in each direction and has a center turn lane so it has a steady flow of traffic.”
York Road passes by Valley Forge High School at the intersection with Independence Avenue.
There has long been a school zone on Independence Avenue in front of the school, slowing traffic to 20 miles per hour with a watchful camera keeping an eye out for violators.
But on York Road, where the posted speed limit is 35 mph, there has never been a school zone.
In 2020, two students from the school were hit by a southbound vehicle on York, and earlier this year another pedestrian was hit there.
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“I know I have personally responded up there to students being struck up there in the past. Thankfully it hasn’t been anything major that I have responded to at that intersection,” said Taylor.
Police said there was no single incident as a catalyst for a change, but after the city was contacted following this year’s pedestrian-involved accident at the intersection a decision has been made to create a new school zone on York Road.
Among the considerations is that Valley Forge now has more students at the school following the closing of Parma Senior High School.
Students who would have been going to that school have been sent to other buildings in the district including Valley Forge.
“It’s going to be a school zone and what’s going to be a little bit different about this school zone is the city has asked for a variance from the typical school zone area, which in my understanding goes to the property lines of the school because it’s just a little strip of York Road there. They are going to extend 300 feet in either direction which is going to give drivers the ability to slow down,” said Taylor.
Police say the new school zone should be in place for the start of the next school year, and expect there will be a grace period to give drivers a chance to become accustomed to it before citations are issued.
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Parma Superintendent Dr. Charles Smialek was unavailable on Wednesday but released a statement to FOX 8 News that reads:
“We are grateful for the support of Parma Heights leaders in recognizing the importance of student safety. Mayor Gallo and her team have been excellent partners in supporting our school district and this is one more example of their concern for students. We are working all the time with the school districts and officers and our continued training to make sure that our schools are as safe as they can possibly be and this is another layer to that.”
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