NORTH LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A North Las Vegas elementary school is seeing traffic improvements aimed at making student drop-offs and pick-ups safer.
Staff at Ollie Detwiler Elementary School say speeding, illegal U-turns, and crowded drop-offs have been problems for years. Many are now hopeful that new safety upgrades will help address those concerns.
WATCH | North Las Vegas school gets traffic safety upgrades:
Amber Shay Nezey, a pre-K teacher who has worked at the school for nine years, said drop-off and pick-up times have been noticeably different since the county and city of North Las Vegas teamed up to make upgrades to the campus.
The improvements include parking bumpers to help stop illegal U-turns, flashing beacons and improved traffic signs. A new 10-foot accessibility ramp was also added.
Ruth Garcia-Anderson, a local, described the impact of the changes.
"These improvements create safer and more continuous walking routes, increasing driver awareness," Garcia-Anderson said.
Nezey, who did not want to go on camera but agreed to speak with me, said the changes have made a visible difference.
"It definitely forces the slowdown," Nezey said. "Before, they were just able to go straight through, and now they are able to pause and have that little thinking moment."
She described what conditions were like before the upgrades.
"Like before, it was sometimes chaotic. Like before, they would park in the middle of the street. Since we're by a busy intersection, we see a lot of speeding," Nezey said.
Nezey said parents and staff had been asking for these improvements for years.
"It took a while, and we wanted it to happen before something major happened," Nezey said.
Last school year, more than 400 students were hit by cars across Clark County School District campuses. A review of the district's Student Traffic Safety Dashboard shows 59 students have been hit so far this year. North Las Vegas has seen the least number of incidents compared with other areas in the valley, though safety remains a priority for local families and school staff.
"We want to have the kids feel safe coming to school," Nezey said.
Nezey said she hopes the city continues to build on the safety improvements.
"I think just continuing to check in," Nezey said.
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