DETROIT – Families living near an elementary school on Detroit’s west side are worried about speeding drivers.
The School at Marygrove Elementary is located on Greenlawn near West McNichols.
Alex Purdy wrote to Local 4, saying, “I live across the street from a new elementary school in Detroit. Despite talking to everyone in the city, no one seems to care. The sidewalk does not have a curb, so people drive onto the sidewalk to go around the speed bumps. It’s also a blind spot because of a column next to the school. People drive so fast down our street, we have zero signage pertaining to the school, and cars crowd the street at school drop-off and pickup. It’s also the only street that goes from 6 Mile to 5 Mile, so it’s quite busy.”
Local 4 spoke with Purdy following the message she sent to us.
“We’ve actually seen people get air over the speed hump before,” Purdy said.
“It’s scary to see cars coming so fast. We are, as adults, look both ways, but in a split second, a kid can cross the street, and they’re going so fast that it would be really hard to avoid it,” said Stefania Daigler, another concerned resident.
There are speed humps on Greenlawn, but for years, parents said drivers just bypassed them.
“They were coming down the street as soon as they would see the little speed hump, they were just driving the sidewalk on the grass, around and then back on the street,” said Daigler.
Earlier this month, the Department of Public Works moved the signs closer to the street to prevent drivers from using the sidewalk.
“They have come out and moved some signs to try and rectify things, but things just aren’t really getting better,” said Purdy.
They say the speed humps aren’t effective.
“The speed humps are not super tall, so they can still go pretty fast, but at least that has avoided driving on the sidewalk,” said Daigler.
They’re hoping drivers will have to slow down if the city installs newer, taller speed humps.
“That’s really the only thing stopping cars from just gunning it down the street, and when the school is right here,” said Daigler. “Be mindful. These are my children and our neighbors’ children, you know.”
The families are hoping for more signs with posted speed limits, reminding drivers that this is a school zone, and enforcement.