Local

Buckhead parents say school zone is treacherous

ATLANTA — Parents in a north Buckhead neighborhood say they fear drivers who habitually speed through school zones and ignore stop signs could hurt their children.

Residents told Channel 2's Carl Willis that Old Ivy Road near Sarah R. Smith Elementary school is especially hazardous during the morning commute.

"It's like they've forgotten this is a school zone," parent Amy Leff said. "They've forgotten there are kids."

A Channel 2 Action News photographer recorded morning traffic and found several drivers who stopped well into the crosswalk and many others who drove much faster than the posted 25 mph speed limit.

Leff said some mornings are so bad she has even resorted to carrying her own stop sign.

"A lot of times they'll keep going or they'll try to go around us (in the crosswalk)," she said. "I'm tempted to throw the stop sign at them."

Parent Andrea Chance said she's experienced the same problems, especially in the area of Old Ivy Rd. near Allison Drive and Land O Lakes Drive – the primary crossing points for foot traffic coming from Piedmont and Habersham roads.

"We've almost been hit by a car four or five times," said Chance. "There obviously needs to be something else."

Willis reached out to the City of Atlanta Public Works and City Council Member Howard Shook.

They both told him having a police officer posted in the area would be the best move, since there are no other signs or infrastructure improvements that could help.

Willis contacted the Atlanta Police Department and a spokesman said a unit from the Zone 2 Precinct would be posted in the area. The officer will monitor the situation, not just for one day, but until the situation is safe for children and other pedestrians, officials said.

Leff hopes drivers will slow down before it's too late.

"We're small and SUV's are big," said Leff. "We have kids. I'd hate for a child to get hurt or killed. It would be awful."