Special to the
Opelika Observer
It’s that time of year when Opelika’s children head back for another year of school. That means there will be added traffic around the ten different areas of town where the Opelika City School buildings are located during morning and afternoon hours. Since there are changes at the middle school and high school for “end of day” dismissal and speed limit times, the city urges motorists to be extra careful.
So please drive cautiously the next couple of weeks as school buses and parents make their daily treks to and from the schools. This is the time of year when, for some students and/or parents, everything is new: new school, new teachers and new routines. If possible, leave home a little earlier in the mornings in case of unexpected delays around the school areas. Better yet, if you do not have school-age children, try to take a route that does not require driving through school zones.
If traveling through a school zone is necessary, be sure to obey the lower speed limits for the school area. In most areas, the speed limit is 25 mph, but there are signs posted with the exact speed limit at each location. OPD will be patrolling these areas, and speeding tickets will be issued during designated times.
Below are the times for each school zone when the lower speed limits are in effect.
Designated school traffic times:
Jeter Primary 7-8:30 a.m. and 2– 3:30 p.m.
Southview Primary 7 – 8:30 a.m. and 2– 3:30 p.m.
West Forest Primary 7 – 8:30 a.m.
2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Northside Primary 7– 8:30 a.m.
and 2 – 3:30 p.m.
Carver Primary 7– 8:30 a.m. and 2– 3:30 p.m.
Learning Center 7– 8:30 a.m. and 2 – 3:30 p.m.
Morris Primary 7 a.m. – 9 a.m.
(Morris Avenue side) 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (Morris Avenue side)
7:15– 8:30 a.m. (Lafayette Parkway side) and 2:15– 3:30 p.m.
(Lafayette Parkway side)
Opelika Middle School 7– 8:30 a.m. and 2 – 4 p.m.
Opelika High School 7– 8:30 a.m. and 2– 4 p.m.
Motorists, most of the cross guards at the high school are new at directing traffic, so please give them a break as they put their skills into “real time” action for the next couple of weeks. Have patience, drive slow and be prepared to stop your vehicle.
As a reminder, all lanes of traffic are required to stop when a school bus stops.