Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
New flashing beacons add much-needed visibility to pedestrians crossing between the Waitsburg Elementary and High School buildings. Coppei Ave is the south entrance into town as E. Highway 12.
WAITSBURG - Pedestrians, including Waitsburg School District students, using the crosswalk on Coppei Avenue and Academy Street, are safer after the installation of rapid rectangular flashing beacons (RRFBs).
Since the district's schools share facilities, including the gymnasium, music room, auditorium, and classrooms, the students, faculty, and staff cross the busy road throughout the school day. The new beacons will add necessary safety measures to the crossings on Coppei Avenue.
The school district's Facilities Supervisor, Brian Segraves, contacted the Washington Department of Transportation in April 2023 regarding crosswalk safety. WADOT provided the district with an estimated cost for installing solar beacons.
Segraves continued communicating with WADOT to stress the need for student safety at the schools. WADOT eventually obtained funding from a legislative provision for bicycle and pedestrian improvements for the entire cost with no out-of-pocket to the district.
"The beacons are up and running, and there has been positive feedback from both the staff and students," said Segraves.
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