The City of Bend Transportation and Mobility Department, in cooperation with the Police Department ,are installing flashing beacons to increase driver awareness and improve school zone speed compliance at 14 schools.
In these locations, the 20 mph school speed limit will be changing from all day (7 a.m. to 5 p.m.) to a 45-minute period as students arrive and leave school.
Schools with flashing 20 mph beacons:
- Ponderosa elementary
- Bend High
- Bear Creek Elementary
- Lava Ridge Elementary
- Sky View Middle
- Pilot Butte Middle
- Juniper Elementary
- Elk Meadow Elementary
- Miller Elementary
- Pacific Crest Middle
- Highland Magnet
- Mount View High
- Bend International School
- Realms Middle School
The schools selected are on higher volume, higher speed arterial streets and include Purcell Blvd at Ponderosa Elementary and 9th Street at Bend High School where the police have historically seen higher incidence of school zone violations.
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It is not uncommon for people pulled over to tell the police that they routinely drive the streets and didn’t mean to speed – they just weren’t paying attention.
The flashing beacons call additional attention to the school zones and remind people to slow down.
Oregon law (ORS 810.243) regulates 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. period for the standard sign and limits the flashing beacons to when kids arrive and depart.
The flashing beacons run 30 minutes before school starts to 15 minutes after school starts and 15 minutes before school ends to 30 minutes after school ends.
The project includes software to remotely operate the beacons and monitor how they are functioning.
The city reminds drivers to observe the speed limit at all hours, and to watch for and stop for people in crosswalks.
