School Zone restricted hours and no turn on red exceptions

Started by Truvelo, November 13, 2009, 01:54:55 PM

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WillWeaverRVA

Quote from: 74/171FAN on November 13, 2009, 03:17:43 PM
All the ones I've seen in VA also have the "when flashing" on them with the exception of one school on VA 106 in Prince George County where there's none of those but the speed limit goes down to 35 right before the school as it's just east of the courthouse

Some of the ones in Richmond are often turned on at weird hours. I have seen the school zone lights flashing as late as 11 PM, and cops are still out enforcing the school zone speed limits. I imagine they're probably using them as a ready-made speed trap.

Most school zones around here have 25mph speed limits, even on some roads with 55mph speed limits elsewhere. This will pose a major problem for US 33/Staples Mill Rd when the new high school in Glen Allen (Henrico County) opens, because this is a fairly major commuter route, and a school zone speed limit reduction to 25mph would make for insane traffic. It's a divided highway, so I imagine they'd either reduce it to 35mph during school hours, or just reduce the speed limit for the whole road to 45mph.
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74/171FAN

Quote from: SyntheticDreamer on November 14, 2009, 05:52:01 PM
Quote from: 74/171FAN on November 13, 2009, 03:17:43 PM
All the ones I've seen in VA also have the "when flashing" on them with the exception of one school on VA 106 in Prince George County where there's none of those but the speed limit goes down to 35 right before the school as it's just east of the courthouse

Some of the ones in Richmond are often turned on at weird hours. I have seen the school zone lights flashing as late as 11 PM, and cops are still out enforcing the school zone speed limits. I imagine they're probably using them as a ready-made speed trap.

Most school zones around here have 25mph speed limits, even on some roads with 55mph speed limits elsewhere. This will pose a major problem for US 33/Staples Mill Rd when the new high school in Glen Allen (Henrico County) opens, because this is a fairly major commuter route, and a school zone speed limit reduction to 25mph would make for insane traffic. It's a divided highway, so I imagine they'd either reduce it to 35mph during school hours, or just reduce the speed limit for the whole road to 45mph.
Yeah the speed limit reduction from 55 to 25 also happens on VA 156 in front of JEJ Moore Middle School here in Prince George.  Of course VA 156 is the only road that directly accesses the school and outside of school hours there's not very much traffic.
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roadfro

Nevada Revised Statutes make a distinction between school zones and school crossing zones.  School zones are located on streets adjacent to school property and carry a 15mph speed limit, while school crossing zones are 25mph and located away from the campus on designated walking routes.  In the absence of specific instructions on the signs, school zones are in effect half an hour before school starts to half an hour after school ends.

On residential and minor collector roads, school speed signs are generally indicated with times that the zone is in effect. These times will follow the half-hour restriction in school zones, and will generally increase in duration for school crossing zones depending on how far away the school is from the zone. At school crossing zones on bigger arterials, multiple times are often listed on signs so to only apply when students can be expected to be walking to/from school.

On major streets and arterials, school speed signs are usually posted with amber beacons and only in effect while flashing. Where reasonable (i.e. school crossing zones or when the zone is adjacent to a secondary school where danger to small kids is minimal), the warning beacons will only be turned on when students are walking to/from class.

In the Las Vegas area, more and more school crossing zones are being marked as "When Children Are Present". Unfortunately, this isn't well defined, but it does meet with approval by the public.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

deathtopumpkins

Ours here only flash in the morning and afternoon, when school opens and closes, but they never turn the lights off on days off, and sometimes they will randomly show one steady and one flashing light at weird times of day. Though they're kinda pointless now, since the city changed around school hours, as the timing doesn't correspond anymore.

74/171: They'll probably only reduce it to 35 through the school zone then. That's the way it's done around here anyway. If a road has a speed limit less than 45 it's reduced to 25, less than 55 it's reduced to 30, or greater than 55 it's reduced to 35.
Though I've noticed down in North Carolina school zones are set up the same way, only with the speed always reduced to 15 or 20. Ouch.
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mightyace

Quote from: mapman on November 13, 2009, 11:24:53 PM
How does TN define "When Children are Present"?  California defines it as anytime that a child is present anywhere on the campus, i.e. during the entire school day!    :confused:

I don't know for sure but I don't think Tennessee uses that definition.  One of the "When Children are Present" signs I'm thinking of is on a rural secondary highway that's otherwise signed at 50 mph.  There's no evidence that they enforce that unless children are actually present.  (which happens rarely at this particular point.)
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AZDude

Phoenix has "AT ALL TIMES" in school zones on main arterials.  Example, Speed Limit 35 "AT ALL TIMES".  On neighborhood streets there will usually be a mobile 15mph sigh on the center line while school is in session.



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