At the July 14th school board meeting, the Snoqualmie Valley School District announced proposed bus and walk zones for new Timber Ridge Elementary, which opens Fall 2016.
One challenging logistic with the school’s location at the corner of Swenson Drive and Snoqualmie Parkway, is that the busy 4-lane Parkway runs right through its attendance boundary area.
According to Assistant Superintendent Ryan Stokes, per the district’s Transportation Policy, buses are typically used for students residing more than a mile [radius] from school, but buses are also used if part of the under one-mile walking route is considered hazardous.
Stokes said student safety is the district’s number one priority and crossing busy Snoqualmie Parkway is something they consider hazardous. So for the Deer Park neighborhood, where some homes are essentially right across the street from Timber Ridge, bus transportation will be provided.
The district is proposing using one bus to make two runs into Deer Park since travel time is very minimal, and also requires just one bus driver during a time of a driver shortage. There are about 120 students residing in Deer Park, with the farthest homes located just under one mile from Timer Ridge.
The logistics as to what stops would be included on each bus run are still being worked out by the transportation department. The district said it is aware some students may still chose to walk – and so they will also evaluate crossing needs at the busy intersection adjacent the school.
Stokes also said the proposed plan may be re-evaluated if the bus driver shortage becomes worse than anticipated.
The Aster Creek neighborhood will also be a bus zone due to distance and the Parkway hazard. The Heights and K-North areas are much farther away and will be bused. Eagle Pointe will be a walk zone, as it is under the one-mile radius and doesn’t have to cross Snoqualmie Parkway.
The district said construction of Timber Ridge Elementary is on schedule, with furniture already being moved into ready classrooms. Work on the gymnasium is still occurring and asphalt for the covered play area was being installed last week.
The only hiccup building construction has experienced is a strike by glass glaziers, which has resulted in a window shortage across the state. The contractor will use plexiglass for some of the school’s entryway windows until the strike is over and they can get permanent glass windows.
