BOZEMAN, Mont. – Monday marks the first day of school in Bozeman and there are some changes kids and parents need to be aware of.
Speed limits on principal arterial roads have been reduced from 35 to 30 around the city. Time of day restrictions in school zones have also been removed, so they are no longer 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. School zone speed limits are generally ten miles under the speed limit of the surrounding area.
The changes came as a result of the death of Kelly Fulton, a Bozeman High School teacher who was hit and killed by a driver while riding his bike to school last fall.
Jeremy Tankink, Chief Joseph Middle School resource officer, said it is important for families to have discussions about how to get to school safely, especially kids who are walking or riding bikes without adult supervision.
One of the best things parents can do is set an example, he said.
“Your child’s going to look up to you and do exactly what you do, hopefully. And so, if you can set a good example of being safe and making eye contact with other drivers and you know, wearing a helmet while you’re riding, hopefully they’ll do the same thing,” Tankink said.
Brady Hollern, a sixth-grade student starting at CJMS. In elementary, he would ride his bike to school and this year he is walking a few blocks. He said he has safety practices while getting to school.
“A lot of the times I ride with a group and we go down the not so busy streets,” he said.
His mom, Lindsey, said they have had conversations about what to do to stay safe, as well.
“Oh, we just talked about you know walking to school with friends that live in the neighborhood here and staying on sidewalks, just going straight to school and them home after school,” Lindsey said.
All schools have a crossing guard, but students should still be aware of traffic around them as they are crossing streets, Tankink said.
Kids under sixteen who ride their bikes to school are also allowed to ride on the sidewalk for extra safety, and all bike riders should wear helmets, he added.
Students who take the bus also still need to be aware of traffic, both while they are walking to a from their bus stop and while crossing the street, he said. Drivers also need to make sure they are coming to a stop when they see a bus with their stop sign out.
For parents concerned about bus driver staffing, First Student is still actively recruiting. According to an email from Jen Biddenger, a communications manager for first student, skilled drivers have been brought in from other cities to fill in the blanks in Bozeman as they continue recruiting.
