LeAnne Jack says it took her five minutes to cross the road in the dark to get to Mendenhall River Community School on Tuesday because of the constant stream of passing vehicles.
“Nobody stops even if you have a flashlight,” she said on Wednesday morning after crossing Back Loop Road — again in the dark — to the school’s entrance shortly before classes started at 8 p.m., with sunrise officially following at 8:38 a.m.
The Juneau School District is asking the state for safety improvements on the road following a collision between a vehicle and three people walking to the school last Thursday morning. Jack, a teacher aide who works for the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska’s Head Start program, said what’s needed is clear as day.
“More lighting and a crosswalk with blinking lights,” she said.
[Woman, two children struck by vehicle while crossing road near Mendenhall River Community School]
A woman with two children sustained injuries that were not life-threatening in last Thursday’s collision, although one of the children had to be flown to Seattle for medical treatment. The driver of the vehicle was not cited because he was not found to be at fault, according to the Juneau Police Department.
Juneau School District Superintendent Frank Hauser tells the Board of Education on Tuesday night he is asking state transportation officials to meet with district leaders to next month to discuss safety improvements on Back Loop Road following a collision last Thursday between a vehicle and three people walking to Mendenhall River Community School. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
District Superintendent Frank Hauser said during a Board of Education meeting Tuesday he is asking the state Department of Transporation and Public Facilities to consider safety improvements since they, rather than the City and Borough of Juneau, are responsible for the road.
“As soon as the accident took place I immediately contacted the Department of Transportation to inquire what can be done to ensure the safety of everyone crossing Back Loop Road such as additional crosswalks, streetlights and so forth,” he said. “I did get a response back today and have spoken with the state Department of Transportation, and we’re planning on working and meeting to start some preliminary conversations about ways that we can potentially work on that Back Loop Road. “
The issue is scheduled to be discussed at the board’s next Facilities Committee meeting scheduled for Jan. 18, Hauser said.
“DOT has confirmed they will be in attendance at that meeting,” he said. “And so they will have an opportunity to be there, and we’ll start having some conversations about short- and long-term options to focus on ways to help keep our roadways safe, and that any pedestrian that’s either walking through or potentially crossing (the road) will have some potential options to do so safely.”
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
