Hoover Traffic Rules

Dear Parents,

Traffic looks much better than it did at this time last year. We are happy that most of you are following the rules, and that the new parents are learning quickly. It is also good to see so many of you walking, on bikes or parking in Mitchell Park; and enough crossing guard volunteers have come forward to fill all daily positions.
Please bear with us to review the rules and the reasoning behind them one more time; we hope this will be the last listing of traffic rules for a while.

The Hoover Traffic Safety Rules have been developed over the years with foremost in mind the safety of students, and secondly to optimize the flow of traffic.
All parents have to follow the rules at all times. Consider it a small investment of time in the safety of our children, to make sure that there are no crashes.
If you don't drop off or pick up your children yourself, make sure that the parties that do (grandparents, nannies) understand our traffic rules.

When waiting in line to drop off or pick up children in the loading zone:

Pull forward as far as possible, keep moving forward as space opens up.
Stay in your car, be ready to load or unload and leave quickly.
Think of other parents waiting in line behind you.
Absolutely no parking in the loading zone at drop-off and pick-up time. There are no exceptions.
The loading zone is not very long: use it efficiently and be considerate of the parents waiting in line behind you.
When you don't pull forward, leaving open space in front of your car, you are denying the use of that space to others waiting to load or unload: you keep other parents from loading or unloading; trying to exit with open space before you also keeps others waiting. Parking, leaving your car in the loading zone blocks the way and will lead to a confusing, possibly dangerous situation of cars trying to leave the line and merging back.
Try to load and unload as fast as safety allows, if possible don't put backpacks etc. in the trunk of your car, and try to say your goodbyes before your car comes to its final stop.
Come in early and use a designated parking space when there's a special occasion or when you're bringing a project or a bike.
If your child is not waiting in the pick-up area, exit the loading zone and circle through again or park in designated parking.
In the afternoon, there is no pick-up at the Kindergarten gate
Don't let children (or adults) in or out of your car in the second lane from the curb.
Getting in or out of a vehicle that is not next to the curb is dangerous and a bad example.
Have you seen students leaving cars at red traffic lights? Don't start a bad habit.
Watch out for pedestrians and keep crosswalks clear.
Pedestrians in the crosswalks always have the right of way.
Do not stop your car in the crosswalk: only pull forward when there's enough room on the other side.

Pedestrians should only cross in designated crosswalks.
Students are taught in the classroom to cross the road only in the designated crosswalks; so when adults cross just anywhere they send the message that breaking the rules is a grown-up thing, an example to follow. Please consider the safety of others if not of yourself.
Drivers trying to exit the loading zone are looking at the road, and may not see you and/or your children when you try to pass between those cars.

Please also read the Police Chief's letter on general traffic safety issues that will appear in these pages shortly.

CROSSING GUARD VOLUNTEERS
We still need a few grades 1-3 parents as afternoon (1:55-2:15) backup for the regular volunteers. Please contact Marco Schuffelen; also let me know if you have any traffic questions or concerns.
Kindergarten traffic volunteers please contact Ray Bayer -----

Last year, Igor Malik pioneered the Crossing Guards' Holiday: taking over all duties for a week. We hope his nice example will be followed by others this year.
More Hoover traffic, maps etc.

Don Cox, Principal
Ray Bayer, PTA President
Marco Schuffelen, Traffic Safety Coordinator