BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — A private school in Broken Arrow wants a school safety zone in front of its campus, including a flashing light. City officials say they will install one if the school splits the bill.
All Saints Catholic School sits along bustling Lynn Lane in Broken Arrow. The speed limit on Lynn Lane is 40 miles per hour.
“Most people are doing 45, 50,” said Taylor Hartman, as he watched a car speeding behind him.
Hartman has a kindergartner who attends All Saints. He’s also a board member. He says traffic congestion is dangerous, and the board has requested a flashing school zone sign. The city has asked the school to pay $7,500 toward the cost, payable over two years.
All Saints has declined the offer to pay for half.
“We just want to be awarded the same amount of safety as the other kids in Broken Arrow,” said Hartman.
The City of Broken Arrow, citing no one specifically, sent a statement that says, in part, that the city “has engaged in good faith efforts… regarding the installation of a school zone along Lynn Lane… It is disappointing that the representative abandoned those efforts and instead appealed to the media. The city is committed to continued dialogue.”
The city also argues that the congestion is caused by the school.
To that, Hartman says every school causes congestion.
He believes the safety of a public road should be the city’s responsibility and adds that 80% of the school's families pay Broken Arrow taxes.
“All the other schools have a school zone, and I’m not aware they paid, because obviously it’s publicly funded money,” he said.
For comparison, 2 News asked the City of Tulsa whether private schools funded their school zones.
They said minor improvements are often handled by their maintenance crews, but larger items, such as a flashing light, would depend on availability.
For example, Holland Hall funded a traffic signal in front of its school, but the city pays for its maintenance.
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