Council Member Secures School Zones With Flashing Beacons

Laredo, TX—March 23, 2009—“It’s 20 miles per hour in school zones – period,” said District II Council Member Hector Garcia.  “Unfortunately, there are many driving motorists who seem to forget this.  That’s why, these new flashing school zone beacons will help everyone see the marked school zone speed limit, which should keep everyone, especially our children, safe, as they head to school,” Garcia concluded.

Garcia is referring to his initiative to replace the existing school zone 20 mph speed limit signs that have the hours of enforcement listed on them with state-of-the-art school zone flashing beacons that advise the public by having LED lights on during the hours of 20 mph speed enforcement.
 
The total project cost for the 10 flashing beacons was $40,000, which was paid out of the council member’s District II discretionary funds.   

The scope of work, done by a City contractor, consisted of removing the existing traffic school zone signs and replacing them with the new school zone flashing beacons.  The construction began in early March and it is scheduled to be completed by March 27, 2009.  

The locations listed below are the school zones which received a flashing beacon:
Killam Elementary        (1) one school zone  flashing beacon on Fairfield
Ryan Elementary        (1) one school zone  flashing beacon  on Musser  
Lamar middle School        (4) one school zone  flashing beacons, one on Lane Street, one on Milmo and two on Arkansas
Cuellar Elementary         (1) one school zone  flashing beacon on Casa del Sol
Santo Niño Elementary    (2) one school zone  flashing beacons on New York Ave.
Bonnie Garcia Elementary     (1) one school zone  flashing beacon on Concord Hills

Star Operations was in charge of the construction of the foundation.  The City of Laredo Traffic Safety Signal Division assembled and installed the school zone flashing beacon units. For any comments or questions, please contact 795-2550.