Senoia is attempting to cut down on the potential for accidents in the vicinity of the Coweta Charter Academy on Ga. Highway 16 on the city’s west side by petitioning the Ga. Dept. of Transportation (DOT) to approve a school zone speed limit during regular school hours. The proposal may be a no-go due to the school not having enough students to meet DOT requirements.
The Coweta Charter Academy is located on the site of the Peachtree Baptist Church between Old Highway 85 and Morgan Road. The City Council in an amendment to the speed limit ordinance wants a school zone speed limit instituted that would lower the speed from 55 miles per hour to 35 miles per hour during school hours. The ordinance amendment proposal was introduced at the July 16 meeting.
DOT so far is not in favor of the idea, citing the school’s enrollment at 180 students, 120 shy of the requirement that a school have an enrollment of 300 students to qualify for a speed limit reduction. That said, DOT did agree for a school zone sign to be posted to remind motorists that a school exists in the immediate area.
The city would also like the speed reduced from 55 miles per hour to 45 miles per hour beginning at Rock House Road, also on the city’s west side. The reasoning has to do with motorists making left turns onto Pylant Street near the new library. Amounting to a main turn-off into the downtown area, the Pylant/Hwy. 16 intersection is one where vehicles approaching from the left have been rear-ended.
The city is currently awaiting the results of a traffic study recently performed by DOT.
