School Zone signs give VC, Mt. Carmel problems - UPDATE

Hurricane damage in Louisiana can become a major problem when it damages necessary infrastructure such as traffic lights and signs. But it is an even bigger problem when children’s safety is in jeopardy.

One recent example is the ineffectiveness of two School Zone signs in front of Vermilion Catholic High and Mount Carmel Elementary. The two signs, one pointed toward traffic in the northbound lane, and one pointed toward traffic in the southbound lane of Park Avenue, have been out of order since Hurricane Gustav.

The southward facing sign at the far end of the Vermilion Catholic parking lot has completely fallen off the pole and sits in the grass beneath it, face down. The flashing lights, which notify drivers that a School Zone is in progress and they should reduce their driving speed, has been de-synchronized with school bell times, and as a result, is ineffective.

The northward facing sign across the street from the schools is covered by an overgrown tree, and the actual sign has twisted around and is facing the opposite direction of oncoming traffic. Reports from the school and from people in the community said this sign does not flash at all.

Although the school has made several attempts to get the signs fixed, school representatives say no one has given them any hope that they will be repaired any time soon.

Janice Stakes is the receptionist at Mount Carmel Elementary and she said the school notified the City of Abbeville and the State Department of Transportation that the signs needed to be replaced or repaired after Hurricane Gustav; however, no action has been taken by either department to fix the signs.

“We’ve been calling since the hurricane,” Stakes said, but nothing has been done. She added that she is concerned that drivers cannot see the signs and are driving too fast on the road, which she said is the cause of the death of one student 11 years ago.

“The City said it’s a State problem; the State says it’s a City problem,” Stakes explained.

The City Department of transportation was notified about this story and the representative with the department said because Park Avenue is part of Highway 167, a state highway, the State of Louisiana is responsible for repairing the signs. However, because the flashing mechanism is malfunctioning, then that part of the issue becomes the City electrical department’s responsibility.

The Abbeville Meridional contacted the electrical department to inform them about the broken signs and the representative said this was the first they heard about the signs and they would have someone look at it in the near future. Upon further investigation, it appears that perhaps a lack of communication and ownership is what has allowed this problem to persist.

After making several attempts to contact the State of Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Communications Director Mark Lambert was finally able to address this problem. Lambert said that the route is a state highway, and thus is the State’s responsibility. As a result, Lambert said work crews will visit the area in the next few days to take a look at the signs to make any necessary repairs.