Traffic calming coming to Airport Heights school zone, St. John's council says

The City of St. John's has committed toinstallingtraffic calming measures in a busy neighbourhood of the city where residents have complained about speeding drivers near the school.

On Tuesday night, council voted in favour of putting incurbs that would narrow a section of Airport Heights Drive, near Roncalli Elementary.

• Speeders risk to students at Airport Heights school, say protesting parents

Parent groups had rallied this winter outside the school, holding signs telling drivers to slow down while driving past the school.

Coun. Sheilagh O'Leary saidresidents and parents in the area have waited long enough.

"The residents of the area have been extremely patient, they deserve to be communicated [with] on a more ongoing basis," she said.

O'Leary added the group has been "extremely vocal" in expressing their concerns, particularly about drivers passing around cars stopped at a crosswalk in front of the school.

"It is imperative that this happens before Roncalli school opens up in the fall. I know that people are resistant to making promises about certain dates, but I think that this issue has been on the register for quite some time," she said.

"I think it is our responsibility to ensure that this gets implemented in a timely fashion before school opens at Roncalli so that the things that were promised to the residents will be fulfilled."

The bump-outs to narrow the street will bedesigned by city staff and once that's completed, an estimate for the cost of the work will be submitted to council.

Council voted in favour of the motion, and O'Leary said she was pleased she would be able to report back to her ward that a solution was on its way hopefully by the end of summer.

"This is an excellent, excellent decision to support, an excellent recommendation," she said. "I think that people have been anticipating some support in that area for some time."