Why can’t I park in the Blue Zone (or Live Parking or No Parking)? I’m just picking up my child - I’ll only be a minute?
If you park in a restricted area it may indeed take “only a minute” for you to get your child. It will, however, cause a backup that will lead to dangerous traffic conditions and frustration for all the other parents who are arriving to pick up their children - and who will now be delayed.
Why are there so many “No Parking” areas?
It wasn’t always like this. Several years ago, parking was legal on much of Pine Street and on both sides of Washburn. Burr, like many elementary schools in Newton, is located on a narrow residential street so there was also frequent gridlock. This made pick-up and drop-off a frustrating and often dangerous experience for everyone – students, parents, and neighbors. A PTO "Traffic Committee" was formed to work with the police and the City on these issues. The situation came to a head when Newton police officers, driving to Burr to observe pick-up, found themselves stuck in gridlock – despite lights and sirens. It was clear that the traffic situation posed a danger not only to the school and students but also to the entire neighborhood. Emergency vehicles would not be able to respond quickly and safely in an emergency. The current “Live Parking” and “No Parking” restrictions were enacted, and over the past few years Burr has become a success story for the other elementary schools. In fact, representatives from Safe Routes, the City, and other schools have come to observe our “Blue Zone Safety Weeks,” and have been so impressed with the safety and efficiency of the process (and with the compliance of our families!) that they hope to bring our “Safety Week” model to the other elementary schools.
Burr has established a safe and effective traffic pattern that minimizes the time it takes to drop-off and pick-up students while maximizing the safe flow of traffic around the school. It’s not perfect, but when people follow the rules it works and everyone – whether walking, driving, riding the bus, or living in the neighborhood – is safer.
But my child is only in kindergarten (or 5th grade) – I have to walk him/her to the door!
Most parents do like to walk their younger children to the door, especially in the first few weeks of school. This is another reason why walking to school is a great option! If you need to drive, you should park in a legal spot so you can walk your child to the door until they (and you!) are ready to do so independently. To avoid congestion, consider leaving a little earlier so you can park a few blocks from school and walk the rest of the way.
But I can't leave until I've seen my child walk through the school door!
While you're watching your child walk to the school door, other parents are being prevented from dropping off their children. This is especially true in the small Blue Zone, since children who get dropped off on that side need to wait for the crossing guard to stop traffic to cross the street before they can walk to the door. This can take several minutes, and with room for only three cars in that Blue Zone, cars get backed up behind the waiting car (often blocking the crosswalk.) Other parents get frustrated and try to pull around and it creates a really unsafe situation. The same thing happens when drivers pull forward and wait in the "No Parking" area ahead of the small Blue Zone.It only takes a minute for a child to walk the short distance from the large Blue Zone (on the school side) to the school door – seconds when they’re running! Use this Blue Zone so you can see them heading in the right direction as you pull away. Explain to your kids that they need to have all their things ready to go as you approach the school, and that when they get out of the car they need to go quickly and directly into the school.
If your child won’t comply, or if you are truly concerned that your child may decide not to enter school, you will need to park legally and walk your child to the door. (If you arrive early in the morning and don’t want your child to leave the car before the school doors open, you should park in a legal space until 8:20 and then enter the Blue Zone.)
Because technically this is a violation of the law. Blue Zone restrictions were created by city ordinance and are part of Newton’s Traffic and Parking Regulations (please see City of Newton Blue Zone Ordinance.)
Ordinance 19-179 states: (a) No person shall park a vehicle upon any street within a school drop off zone except while engaged in dropping off or picking up passengers, which shall not be permitted for a period of time longer than one (1) minute.
The legal definition of “park” is “the standing of a vehicle, whether occupied or not.” If you are not actively picking up or dropping off a child (for example, if you are waiting for the school doors to open in the morning, or if you are waiting to watch your child walk through the doors, or if you arrive early for pickup), you are in violation of the ordinance and the police can issue a ticket ($25 fine). While the Newton Safe Routes Task Force works in partnership with the police to ensure the safety of our school zones, the Burr Safe Routes Committee has no control or influence over an officer's responsibility to enforce traffic regulations or city ordinances.
For practical purposes, the Blue Zone just works better – and is safer - when cars keep moving. It’s okay to be (a little) late in the afternoon, so plan to arrive between 3:00 and 3:05pm. Remember, children always wait with staff members and will be sent to your car when you arrive at the top of the Blue Zone - no child is ever left alone after school.
Why are the police here?
The Newton Police Traffic Division is responsible for the enforcement of all traffic ordinances and, along with the Newton Safe Routes Task Force, is committed to reducing unsafe and illegal driver and pedestrian behavior in the school zones. The Traffic Division assigns officers periodically to monitor drop-off and pick-up at each of the elementary schools to ensure that safety is maintained.
The volunteers on the Burr Safe Routes Committee, as fellow parents, can only educate, encourage, remind, and ask for your cooperation. When this fails, the police will enforce Newton’s parking, traffic, and Blue Zone ordinances by ticketing.
Why won’t the police officer let me wait in the Blue Zone before 3pm?
Because technically this is a violation of the law. Blue Zone restrictions were created by city ordinance and are part of Newton’s Traffic and Parking Regulations (please see City of Newton Blue Zone Ordinance.)
Ordinance 19-179 states: (a) No person shall park a vehicle upon any street within a school drop off zone except while engaged in dropping off or picking up passengers, which shall not be permitted for a period of time longer than one (1) minute.
The legal definition of “park” is “the standing of a vehicle, whether occupied or not.” If you are not actively picking up or dropping off a child (for example, if you are waiting for the school doors to open in the morning, or if you are waiting to watch your child walk through the doors, or if you arrive early for pickup), you are in violation of the ordinance and the police can issue a ticket ($25 fine). While the Newton Safe Routes Task Force works in partnership with the police to ensure the safety of our school zones, the Burr Safe Routes Committee has no control or influence over an officer's responsibility to enforce traffic regulations or city ordinances.
For practical purposes, the Blue Zone just works better – and is safer - when cars keep moving. It’s okay to be (a little) late in the afternoon, so plan to arrive between 3:00 and 3:05pm. Remember, children always wait with staff members and will be sent to your car when you arrive at the top of the Blue Zone - no child is ever left alone after school.