Board of Education Resolution Requesting Safety Improvements to the Intersection of Lakehill Road and the Main Entrance into the BH-BL High School November 5, 2013
WHEREAS, the safety of our community is of utmost importance to all involved and the Town Board of the Town of Ballston is authorized and empowered to initiate actions needed to make improvements to the existing crosswalk and traffic intersection at the main entrance into the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School at 88 Lakehill Road, Burnt Hills; and
WHEREAS, Lakehill Road is one of the most highly traveled roads in our community and handles a large volume of car and truck traffic for a number of reasons, including its being a direct route between Route 50 and County Route 146A; and
WHEREAS, the visibility of the existing crossway at the Lakehill Road intersection into the high school is limited, which compounds the potentially dangerous mix of cars, buses, walkers, and bike riders now entering and exiting at this intersection; and
WHEREAS, in demonstration of the seriousness with which it views the safety risks now evident at this intersection, the BH-BL Board of Education shares the following data as reasons why safety improvements should move forward as quickly as possible, namely that:
- 30 to 40 school buses enter and exit through this intersection every day. This includes both 30-passenger and 60-passenger buses carrying over 1,800 BH-BL middle school and high school children, as well as many buses carrying sports teams from competing schools, and
- Over 180 staff members enter and exit the school daily, and • Our community’s least-experienced drivers also use this intersection daily, both because the high school is the location where Drivers’ Education is taught and because 181 student parking permits have been issued to student drivers for the 2013-14 school year, and
- Traffic at this intersection also includes an estimated 30 students who walk or who ride their bikes to school daily, and
- The following interscholastic sports teams use the Lakehill Road crosswalk at this intersection to walk or run to the Stevens Elementary School as part of their regular practices during their respective sports seasons: 35 to 50 students for Girls Cross Country, 35 to 50 students for Boys Cross Country, 125 to 140 students for Boys and Girls Indoor Track, 75 to 100 students for Girls Outdoor Track, 50 to 75 students for Boys Outdoor Track, 24 students for Freshman/JV Girls Volleyball, 20 to 25 students for JV Boys Lacrosse, 12 to 15 students for Freshman Boys Basketball, 12 to 15 students for Freshman Girls Basketball, 12 to 15 students for Modified Softball, and 12 to 15 students for Freshman Baseball, and
- The high school hosts one or more events nearly every evening of the week during the school year for athletic contests, practices, concerts, parent and PTA meetings, student activities, drama productions, Board of Education meetings, and use of the building by community groups; and
WHEREAS, improvements to the safety of this intersection would also benefit the many local citizens of all ages who walk across this intersection to travel to and from properties on the other side of Lakehill Road, namely the Calvary Episcopal Church (which makes use of the high school parking lot for church services on Sunday and other events) and the Town of Ballston Library (which attracts many student visitors and uses the high school parking lot for large events); and
WHEREAS, school district staff and Board of Education members are ready and eager to provide assistance as needed to others who have the expertise to determine the specific type of potential traffic control improvements (such as a flashing light, different signage, and/or zebra stripes) that would be best at this intersection;
IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Board of Education urges the Town Board of the Town of Ballston to take the necessary steps to improve the safety of the intersection of Lakehill Road and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School entrance.
Signed by Board Members: President Lee-Ann Mertzlufft, John Blowers, Elizabeth Herkenham, Patre Kuziak, Jennifer Longtin, James Maughan, and Joseph Pericone.