NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Even though the Hutchinson City Council decided to put the 30th and Lucille intersection back to as it was before the 43rd bridge work began in 2019, which means stop signs on Lucille and no stop light, local government officials are still working on helping to alleviate the traffic situation at Prairie Hills Middle School.
The Hutchinson City Council will consider a change in the time for the school zone speed limit for Prairie Hills Middle School at its meeting on Tuesday.
If approved, the school zone time periods are to be amended to 7:15 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. on days school is in session.
The change was requested by Buhler USD 313 Superintendent Cindy Couchman because the district has had to stagger its building start times due to a shortage of bus drivers.
In addition, Reno County Commission Chair Daniel Friesen wants to see what can be done about Lucille north of 30th and said so at the County Commission's most recent meeting April 11.
"I'd like to propose that we take a field trip to the Prairie Hills Middle School area and have a conversation," Friesen said. "The road there has been brought up time and time again. The road there, Lucille, is not designed for children or bus traffic."
The issue is that the road is jointly that of the local township and the city, so it is hard to get either side to address it.
"Some agency needs to take a leadership role in trying to bring everybody together to resolve it," Friesen said. "Even if we don't have full jurisdiction, it's in my district and I've gotten multiple requests."
A date for that meeting where Friesen hopes to get the city, the county, the township and the school district all together is not set yet.
The Hutchinson City Council meets Tuesday at 9 a.m. at City Hall.
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