Dave Robertson takes the oath of office for 2018 at today’s Warsaw Traffic Safety Commission meeting.

WARSAW — The City of Warsaw Traffic Safety Commission held their monthly meeting Wednesday, Feb. 6. The majority of the meeting was spent discussing the area around Harrison Elementary School on Husky Trail, Warsaw.

Chief Academic Officer Dave Robertson stated that typically for all Warsaw schools located in an urban area, there is a one mile walk zone for students where the school does not provide transportation.

“We are in the process of removing transportation from what is a pretty high density population area so we are requesting that the school zone be expanded so we can reduce speed limits,” said Robertson. He explained that with the expansion, the school zone would run from Canterbury Apartments to just past the Glad Street entrance. Robertson said that starting next year the school will be staffing people to help walk students to school, but they will no longer be providing transportation in that area.

Warsaw Police Captain Joel Beam explained that the school zone lowers the speed limit in that area by 10 mph, meaning that the speed limit in that portion of Husky Trail would be reduced from 35 mph to 25 mph during certain times of the day. Robertson advised they would also be implementing the use of flashing lights similar to those at Lakeview to help alert drivers to the crosswalk area.

“I know (Harrison Elementary School Principal) Matt Deeds has done a great job communicating with parents during all of this construction,” said Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer, cautioning that public education will be crucial when this process is started.

“We have some areas where we have paid staff members to man the crosswalks before and after school. That would be the plan at Harrison,” said Robertson.

This request to expand the school zone area on Husky Trail was approved.

Beam shared an email he had received from a citizen who expressed concern about a stop sign at Glad Street and Flora Avenue in Warsaw, near Harrison Elementary. The citizen stated that the main route, north-south traffic, is required to stop while east-west traffic has the right of way and asked if the stop sign could be turned.

After some discussion, it was agreed that traffic is only heavy in that area twice a day and that flipping the stop sign would likely cause more confusion.

Other news:

• Warsaw City Planner Jeremy Skinner advised members that he was approached by Greg Cobb, who owns a number of gas stations. Cobb would like to put a fueling station at the corner of CR 150W and US 30, on the south side of U.S. 30. Commission members agreed they would like to have a traffic study done to see what impact this would potentially have and whether improvements, such as a left turn lane, would be recommended.
• An oath of office for 2018 was administered to all voting members by Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer.
• November meeting minutes were approved, as no meeting was held in December.
• The next regular meeting will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 7.