UP Elementary to Get Queuing Lane on Dickens

Congestion is a big issue during drop-off and pick-up time at University Park Elementary.
University Park city staff suggested making Amherst Avenue a one-way street to help move traffic along during the most congested times of day. The plan didn’t go over well with homeowners, though.
Traffic is also made worse with the lack of on-site parking for UP Elementary staff and teachers. Many employees had been parking along Amherst, and therefore narrowing access to the street.
At last night’s UP City Council meeting, Public Works Director Bud Smallwood presented a plan to help bring traffic in line during peak hours. The city devised a queuing lane to be set up on the west curb of Dickens Avenue between Stanford Street and Amherst Avenue. Several cones will be set up at the intersection of Stanford and Dickens, directing drivers east down Amherst. A crossing guard will watch the intersection.
Teachers will be asked to park along the east side of Dickens to help mitigate congestion along other thoroughfares, too.
At last night’s meeting,UP Elementary principal Lynda Carter said that the school would get the word out about the new queuing lane. She also said that, if the plan doesn’t work out, the school is open to working with the city to re-evaluate the traffic situation.
Councilwoman Kelly Walker acknowledged the work that went into finding an amicable solution for everyone, saying “This has certainly been a community effort.”

By Joanna England Apr. 7, 2010 | 10:13 am | 5 Comments | Comments RSS
5 comments to "UP Elementary to Get Queuing Lane on Dickens"
  1. Merritt Patterson @ April 7, 2010 at 2:00 pm
    OK, maybe I don’t get it.
    “The city devised a queuing lane to be set up on the west curb of Dickens Avenue between Stanford Street and Amherst Avenue. Several cones will be set up at the intersection of Stanford and Dickens, directing drivers east down Amherst.”

    Does that mean drivers will exit the queue lane from Dickens (facing south) by turning east (left) on Amherst- before you reach the school? If so, are the kids being walked to that intersection for dismissal?

    Help me understand.

  2. Rebecca @ April 7, 2010 at 4:16 pm
    The cones are already there forcing cars to turn eastbound on Amherst from southbound Dickens and there is already a crossing guard at the intersection. I think the only real change here is what is now a no parking/no standing zone on Dickens becomes an official drop-off area (the same area where a good number of kids get dropped off every morning, like today) . It’s funny, because a number of no parking/no standing signs were randomly installed in this area in January if memory serves me. An officer from UPPD was there in the mornings to tell folks to move it along and I saw at least one driver ticketed a few weeks after the signs went up.

    Good question about whether it is a pick-up area in the afternoon as well.

  3. Merritt Patterson @ April 7, 2010 at 4:25 pm
    But the way I read this, with Stanford thrown into the mix, you won’t be able to drive into the queue from southbound Dickens- you’d have to turn on Amherst before you actually got to the school? Cones will be on Stanford?

  4. Rebecca @ April 8, 2010 at 9:08 am
    @Merritt, the queue will be accessible from southbound Dickens anywhere north of Amherst (Stanford, Purdue, et al). The official carpool lane that funs behind the school on Amherst is already forced to turn south on Dickens by the same cones that currently force southbound Dickens traffic to turn east on Amherst. So yes, cars must turn from Dickens to Amherst just short of the school…but like a whole 20 yards from the school. Not a unreasonable distance for little legs to walk (or skip, as my kiddo tends to do). It appeared as though word of the change had spread overnight, because the “new queue” was alive and well this morning on Dickens and worked like a well-oiled machine. It also really helped cut down the two-way traffic jam on Amherst between Dickens and Hillcrest. Two thumbs up to the UP City Council.

  5. Merritt Patterson @ April 8, 2010 at 10:11 am
    I hear you, it sounded to me like an afternoon pick up occurring across the street. I don’t think it’s too far, it would just be odd to have teachers walking students across the street. But it sounds like that’s not the point. It sounds like this is more of a morning drop off thing. So, if that’s the deal- awesome.

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