Education Matters:

One of the more difficult columns I wrote last year was in the aftermath of the tragic death of young Meri Nalbandyan, who was struck by an automobile while crossing in front of Toll Middle School on Glenwood Road, where three schools converge — Hoover High, Toll and Keppel Elementary.

The consensus among city and Glendale Unified School District officials was, and is, “something must be done.” I, and a number of other people directly involved with the situation, think we have an excellent solution.

What follows here, however, comes under the category of “Nice idea but won’t happen.” Why that is true remains a mystery to me, which city and school district officials may or may not clear up should any of you make inquiries. Be that as it may, in response to “something must be done,” I will suggest, or rather reiterate, an idea that was supported by many of the teachers, parents and community members I polled. The suggestion (or, as it turns out, pipe dream) is that the portion of Glenwood in front of the three schools be paved over and permanently closed to cars.

I spoke up at a community meeting that was attended by top officials in the city and school district suggesting this closure and the response was — no response at all. The objection, as I think I understand it, is that by closing Glenwood, traffic would be diverted from the front of the schools to peripheral areas around each school, thereby only transferring the congestion elsewhere.

My answer to that would be, yes, but the traffic would be confined to one school and not three, and that would make all the difference in the world.

It is that convergence of autos and kids in one area that needs to be addressed. The other objection to reconfiguring and redirecting traffic is that it would be an “inconvenience” to the neighbors surrounding the schools. That objection strikes me as lame in the extreme. Leaving aside the forseeability of heavier traffic for people choosing to live near three public schools, the word “inconvenience” hardly seems appropriate when the issue is the physical safety of our children.

Still, the powers that be insist that Glenwood remain a thoroughfare.

The “solutions” thus far suggested include: More flashing lights, more stop signs, more crossing guards, an island/divider in the middle of the road — none of which will decrease the volume of traffic in front of the three schools.