This morning, as Councilman Manny Pelaez and Dr. Geri Berger cut the red ribbon, city workers flipped the switch to make our traffic light fully operational. The councilman praised Dr. Berger for her diligence over the years to keep her students safe.

This traffic light is the result of her work with the school community, parents, NISD officials, city officials and the fact that the councilman himself listened and took action. “This was not an easy task,” he added referring to the process of getting a traffic light approved, funded and installed in time for this school year. He emphasized that the tragedies of students being hit and so many others being almost hit are both unacceptable and avoidable.

The new stoplight was installed in April and May replacing the stop signs that had been set up in the interim. Until this morning, the light has been a flashing red. The light is located at the main entrance to Brandeis High School on Kyle Seale Parkway.

As we get closer to the first day of school, there is already a lot of activity on campus. So, several hundred students will already be well-practiced in waiting for the green light to drive through and waiting for the ok-to-cross signal for the crosswalk. And hopefully, other drivers will catch on right away as well!

Dr. Berger also let us know that our favorite crossing guards will be back this year!

Watch the News Today

To help us get the word out, the ribbon cutting was covered by several news stations: KENS, KSAT, Telemundo and Univision. Spectrum will also run a story. It’s nice to have a good news story about protecting our kids!

Councilman Pelaez’s office reached out today to let us know he will be holding a ribbon cutting at the Brandeis traffic light on Monday, August 5 at 9:00 a.m.

Parents and students are welcome to attend!

As you’ve probably seen, the work to install the stoplight at the main entrance has been visible for the last month or so. I checked with Councilman Pelaez’s office who said the light should be operational (flashing) any day now. 

Let’s ignore the irony that the school year is almost over and remember that both the councilman and the City’s Transportation and Capital Improvements department pushed to speed up the light installation. It usually takes a lot longer than this.

With that to-do item soon to be checked off, the last thing our community is urging for is to address the north entrance structurally. At the very least, that crosswalk needs to be moved to the corner closest to the school. 

The crosswalk we have now was upgraded fairly recently (in the summer I believe). But it is located at corner farthest from the school. So students have to cross a line of traffic in order to get to the crosswalk!

In the afternoon, when the traffic is heaviest, students either stay on the school sidewalk and cross traffic at the intersection where cars are hurriedly turning to get to the parking lot or are looking for quick moments to exit onto Kyle Seale. 

Other students cross the street closer to the school where cars are jammed up and walk toward the intersection on school property where there is no sidewalk. That’s if the ground isn’t puddled or muddy. 

Still, other students cross in between the cars wherever they sense an opening.

The City’s Transportation and Capital Improvements office told me it is “continuing to look at how to best improve the location” but wants to “best leverage city resources.”

If I hear any updates during the summer, I’ll share them here. It might take more advocacy to get this done by August.

In the meantime, have a wonderful break and congratulations to all of our graduates!

As this school year comes to a close, we want to celebrate our crossing guards, Debbie Breaux and Gary Kressbach!

When this school year began, we all knew several things needed to happen to make the roads around the school safe for our students. Northside ISD took steps to bring in crossing guards at the Band/ROTC Entrance (North). They began their work in November.

I recently stopped by to chat with them. The first thing Gary said was, “Nobody’s been hurt on our watch!” Gary has morning duty, and Debbie the afternoon. Debbie crosses about 10 times the number of students Gary does.

While observers might think being a crossing guard is a boring job, both Debbie and Gary were eager to share how much fun they’ve had. “I just love these kids!” Debbie said. “They’re such nice kids. I’m just having the best time!”

And they both – independently – wanted me to say to readers, “Slow down!” 

They’ve see countless drivers exceeding the 20 mph school zone speed limit, drivers talking with their phones up to their ears, and even a few drivers zipping past them when they are in the street holding up their stop sign.

And, with a little glee, they’ve seen a few of these drivers getting stopped by the police.

Their jobs are to protect students crossing the street, but the added bonus is the connection they make with the students themselves. Debbie reminds them to wear a jacket the next day when a cold front is coming, or she’ll give them a countdown, “Only 15 days left for school!”

Gary told me, “The kids seem to appreciate it.” While I was there, I heard students saying thank you as Gary sent them toward school with a cheerful “Have an awesome day!”

As of today, Brandeis has successfully secured a crossing guard for the Band/ROTC north entrance of the parking lot at Kyle Seale. The guard will be there one hour before and after school.

At last!

It’s been 81 days since the injury accident at that intersection that finally got the attention of some officials and media.

Thanks to Dr. Berger for her efforts – for years – to resolve the safety issues at the school entrances, and I’m sure for pressing to get the crossing guard approved.

It’ll be important during this next phase that we monitor the effects of all the changes that have been made (with the stoplight still on its way). Please share your observations by commenting below over the next few weeks.

Good job everyone!

 

I have two updates for you.

First, as you may have heard, Brandeis sent out a call today to let families know that the change to the Champions Gate Entrance will be in place this Monday, November 5. That exit from the school parking lot will be limited to right turn only (toward 1604 instead of toward Kyle Seale).

And second, I reached out to Councilman Paleaz’s office to ask if the crosswalk closest to Igo will be moved after all. I’m happy to say that the Council office is waiting on final approval from the city’s Transportation and Capital Improvements (TCI) department to move the crosswalk at the North Entrance. The approval could take a few months.

This is an important step so that students will have one less lane of traffic to cross, and they will be crossing at a place with better visibility and won’t be crossing where so many cars are turning left out of the parking lot.

So here’s a shout out to both Councilman Paleaz’s office and the city TCI department for doing their part and sticking with it until we have safe roads for our Brandies kids and the nearby community.

I received an update from Dr. Berger (who’s been pushing for action for years). And as I was typing my last post yesterday, she was meeting with Councilman Paleaz’s office.

Below are the steps being taken at all three Brandeis entrances.

1. Main Entrance (South) 

Until recently, this intersection had a crosswalk and only a single stop sign for cars exiting the parking lot. As you know, with the councilman’s work, the just-passed city budget includes funds for installing a signal light. And the city’s Transportation & Capital Improvements office is speeding up installation from the usual year and a half to just a few months. In the meantime, two more stop signs were set up this week for Kyle Seale traffic.

This will:

• Stop traffic for pedestrians crossing on the crosswalk
• Make it easier to see pedestrians
• Ease outgoing traffic at the main entrance, especially at peak times
• Lead to slower speeds along Kyle Seale

2. Champions Gate Entrance 

NISD is in the final stages of getting signage for the right turn only out of the parking lot.

This will:

• Reduce the volume of traffic headed to Kyle Seale.

3. Band/ROTC Entrance (North) 

NISD is working through securing the funds for a crossing guard! While there may be other things that need to be done (like moving the crosswalk to the south corner), having a crossing guard is a relatively quick and important step. As I mentioned in a previous post, the city also got the property owners next to this entrance to clear out the brush that was significantly hindering visibility.

This will:

• Provide trained personnel to stop traffic for pedestrians
• Make it easier to see pedestrians
• Lead to slower speeds along Kyle Seale
• Provide some relief while we wait to see how much of a difference the other actions make

And of course, the school zone speed limit was changed last month from 25 mph to 20 mph.

The city’s long-term plan is to make Kyle Seale a four-lane road, which will require relooking at all of this, but that’s several years away.

Dr. Berger added that she appreciates all of our continued support! We all want what’s best for the children of our community!

As promised, the new stop signs were installed today at the main entrance of Brandeis HS. They are temporary until the new signal light is installed in the coming months. It’ll be interesting to see how traffic flows as drivers get used to the new three-way stop.

At least now, at that intersection, students will be able to cross the street protected. So that’s good.

I wish we could say the same for the other intersection where there was an injury accident early this year.

We’re still waiting.

And visibility is getting worse with fall weather and will be even worse after school when the time changes.

Let us know or comment here if you’ve heard any news.

So, what I’ve learned from the city’s Transportation & Capital Improvements department is that they are still in discussions with NISD and Councilman Pelaez’s office about options for the northern entrance (I don’t know who at NISD they are talking with).

In their meetings and traffic monitoring after our community meeting, there was concern about how having two three-way stops would affect the school operations. So they are proceeding with the main entrance work – since it was already planned and funded – while they figure out what to do with the other entrance. (Remember that Dr. Berger said the data show that both entrances were a concern and needed attention.)

But it looks like whatever will be done for the north entrance is not going to be done as quickly as we feel is necessary.

It’s been four weeks since our community meeting.

Several folk have suggested that – at least in the meantime – we need someone serving as a crossing guard or directing traffic. That it is up to NISD, not the city. And the superintendent was open to it.

If that’s right, how do we make that happen?

Last week, Brandeis posted the following on its webpage. (Thanks for the update Dr. Berger!)

Traffic Concerns

Brandeis High School and Northside ISD is committed to student safety. We are in communication with the City of San Antonio to ensure that traffic safety concerns are addressed in a timely and responsible manner.

Update: October 3rd, 2018. The City of San Antonio has notified campus administration that an advanced warning sign notice will be placed on Kyle Seale on October 3, 2018. Drivers are being notified that a three-way stop will be in place in approximately two weeks at the marquee entrance at Brandeis. This three-way stop will be in effect until the traffic signal is constructed. ​

The “marquee entrance” is the main entrance. The notice is there now.

I know what you’re thinking.

Everybody together now: What about the band/ROTC entrance?!

The only thing that’s happened that I’ve seen is the brush clearing on the property between Brandeis and Hausman, as was promised.

So that’s good.

But the band/ROTC is where we continue to see every day close calls! This is the entrance where students are having to cross the street unprotected!

I have reached out to the representative of the city’s Transportation & Capital Improvements department to get an update. I’ll share any news I receive here. If you’ve heard anything, please let me and our readers know too.