Drivers going around speed bumps at GHS is causing issues, city to allow school to outfit street as needed
Times photo/Jessi Dreckman Quite a few drivers have been driving on the shoulders of High School Drive, which runs in front of Gainesville High School, to avoid going over the installed speed bumps with all four tires. It has resulted in damaged road shoulders, city officials say. The school and city are currently discussing what can be done in that area. The street is a city street; however, the school has taken over maintenance of the stretch of road where the speed bumps were installed. There are five speed bumps currently installed, two at each of the far entrances of the high school parking lot and one in the center area, pictured above, where a city fire hydrant is located. The city council members were in favor of allowing the school to outfit the street as it needs to as long as the fire hydrant is accessible from the roadway for the fire department’s needs. Superintendent Justin Gilmore said the school would seek advice of an engineer or other professional for recommendations and options.
At the March 12 Gainesville City Council meeting, Maintenance Supervisor Mike Davis said that an employee from the Gainesville School approached him to ask what the city would allow the school to do alongside High School Drive, where the school installed speed bumps last year in an effort to slow traffic in areas where students and school patrons may be crossing the street, which runs between the school parking lot and the parking lot for the new sports complex and classroom space in a building that was formerly used as Real Life Church. The church closed its Gainesville location in 2020, and the school purchased the building.
“They’re going beside the speed bump and going down in the ditch. We don’t want them hitting the fire hydrant, and the school wants to know what they can put up to keep people from going around the speed bumps,” Davis said to the council. “It’s a city street, so they’re kind of just wanting to know your thoughts...”
Councilman Dana Crisp asked Davis if the school had taken over the maintenance of that road, and Davis said that when the speed bumps were installed, the agreement was that the school would maintain that stretch of High School Drive including snow removal in winter.
The council members who were present indicated they would be in favor of allowing the school to outfit the street with whatever barrier it saw fit, as long as the city fire hydrant was accessible from the road, as a pipe barrier was placed on the parking lot side of the hydrant, making it inaccessible when approached from that way.
Superintendent Justin Gilmore said that the school would need to have an engineer or some other professional look at the street and offer recommendations of possible options before the school would move forward with any specific idea. He said vehicles driving through the parking lot are another issue they’re facing.
The council said they would check with Gainesville Fire Chief Ed Doiron to see if he had any input on the fire department’s needs in that area of the street before moving forward.