With the start of another school year, it’s also a reminder as was noted at Mount Vernon City Council this week that it’s time to be more cautious on the roads.

More children will be active at both early morning hours and midday during the school day, and motorists should start watching those speed limits, especially at crossings and in residential areas. We would agree that it is easy to forget that Palisades Road for stretches of that roadway is adjacent to multiple school buildings.

The Mount Vernon School system has completed a traffic study for their entrances last spring, and are awaiting the recommendations to see which of the results could be implemented to help with traffic congestion at one of the main traffic arteries in the community when school is in session. That study may provide a more permanent solution to the traffic in the future, including a possible creation of an additional entrance or exit for the school system to utilize in the future.

With Lisbon’s construction project completed this year as well, the traffic pattern around the elementary school is also changing, with the district once again utilizing the elementary entrance for pick-up and drop-off.

But there are other crossings, especially with the trail systems in Mount Vernon and Lisbon, where motorists should be watching out for students to be crossing now and the rest of the school year.

Watch, especially in early morning hours and after school releases for any youth crossing city streets so they get safely home.