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First Posted: 2/12/2013

WRIGHT TWP. – Supervisor Donald Zampetti recommended Monday the township should remedy daily traffic congestion in front of Crestwood High School, a problem he said soon could cause injury.

In a work session before the board’s regular monthly meeting, Zampetti said that between 7:20 and 7:35 a.m. each day, when parents are dropping off their children at school, traffic moves so slowly on South Mountain Boulevard that hurried motorists cut into the center turning lane to get around congestion.

He said slowed traffic in the school parking lot’s parent drop-off lane backs up traffic to the signal light by McDonald’s, and he sees students leaving their parents’ cars and crossing the highway to get to school.

Zampetti said police Chief Royce Engler sent a written request to school officials to warn parents to follow posted traffic laws. He said it seems the letter had no effect.

Township Solicitor Michael Kostelansky said the district has no authority or obligation to govern traffic flow on the highway. He said another written notice from police to school officials advising them of the traffic violations and that police are going to be issuing citations could be the first step to make the morning commute safer for students and motorists alike.

But the police are going to have to follow through, Kostelansky said. He said drivers should begin to take the law seriously if they know violations will be met with citations.

In other business, part-time police officer Aaron Fromm has completed his 90-day probationary period, and the supervisors officially approved his employment Monday.

Fromm will receive a $1-per-hour raise as part of his agreement with the township, setting his hourly rate at $15.