The center relocated to the US 68 property this summer, he said, where it had been designated as a school zone previously. However, Kaffenbarger said, the Ohio Department of Transportation removed the flashing lights and lower speed limit signs when the school was no longer there.
Kaffenbarger reached out to request the lights be returned, he said, but the request was denied.
“We were originally told that you can’t have a school zone for preschool students,” he said.
When the school informed the state that older children were taught at the center as well, he said, they were told their IRN, a number used by the Ohio Department of Education, wasn’t on the list with the department, and therefore wouldn’t be eligible for the traffic lights.
“We’ve received one excuse after another but still no flashing lights,” he said.
The speed limit on US 68 is 55 miles per hour. The educational center conducted a traffic study, Kaffenbarger said, that found over 300 vehicles travel in and out of the facility each day, including buses.
“We would prefer that they be proactive and get the lights restored before we have some sort of accident that’s a tragedy for the community,” he said.
Parents and buses often have to wait ten minutes just to pull out on US 68, Special Needs Preschool Teacher Joanna Hostetler said.
“If traffic’s not coming one way, it seems to be coming the other way,” she said.
She worked at the preschool when it did have flashing lights, she said, and things were safer then.
“It’d make a big difference for safety for everyone.”
Kaffenbarger said he hasn’t heard from ODOT since August and isn’t sure what else to do to convince them to add the traffic lights. He’s contacted Ohio Rep. Nino Vitale, R-Urbana, to see if he can help, he said.
Calls for comment to the Ohio Department of Transportation were not returned.
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