Cedar Park City Council held a public hearing on establishing a school zone speed limit of 20 miles per hour on Buttercup Creek Boulevard west of Bell Boulevard in front of the Cedar Park Charter Academy during a meeting Oct. 13.
No residents spoke before the council at the public hearing. Eight parents and teachers from the charter school requested the reduced speed limit, a crosswalk and signs with flashing lights during an Aug. 25 meeting.
Melanie Kriewaldt, a ninth grade teacher at the charter academy, said the school, located at 201 Buttercup Creek Blvd., Cedar Park, is situated on a blind curve. She said traffic can be heavy on Buttercup, and she and other speakers expressed safety concerns about crossing the road to get from the parking lot to the school.
“We have kids on bikes; we have kids that are pedestrians; we have parents that are pedestrians trying to cross the road to pick up their children. There’s just a lot of activity there,” Kriewaldt said. “We are worried that there’s going to be an unfortunate accident.”
At a Sept. 22 council meeting, Senior Engineering Associate Tom Gdala said his department evaluated the roadway. He said staff recommended creating the school zone and requiring signs at Buttercup. He also said council could choose to work with school officials to add a pedestrian crosswalk and flashing beacons.
A second reading of the ordinance will be held during council's Oct. 27 meeting, and Gdala said the city could install the speed zone signs if the ordinance is adopted. Gdala said the city could provide signage at the beginning and end of the school zone, which is estimated to cost $3,600.