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The Wellsboro Police Department is asking for your help regarding an ongoing traffic challenge at the entrance/exit of the Don Gill Elementary School off of Sherman Street. There have been a number of close calls and neighbors in the area are getting concerned and upset. Our Wellsboro Home Page viewers can help reduce the threat of an accident in this location by watching today’s feature and then being mindful of the situation when picking up your children.

The first helpful action that you can take is to make sure you stop completely at the stop sign as you exit the school pick-up area. A number of parents are rolling through the stop sign instead of coming to a complete stop. When the place is packed and everyone is trying to keep things moving and exit the school quickly, there is a tendency not to stop completely. The assumption is that everyone driving up Sherman Street is gong to turn right into the school to pick up children. (Since most of the traffic does turn right after school lets out, the assumption is that all traffic will do so.) Do not assume that everyone is turning right, into the school. This puts the residents above the school on a collision course if they drive straight up the hill. Please – come to a complete stop and be watching carefully before pulling out.

For those drivers coming up the hill to collect your children, it is very important for you to signal your intent before turning right into the school pick-up area. If you don’t, then the person at the stop sign will tend to stay in place for a longer period of time – slowing down the overall exiting process and flow of traffic. As time goes on people then become more impatient and begin to roll through the stop sign. They could very easily roll out into an oncoming vehicle going straight up the hill.

The Wellsboro Police department is asking everyone to be alert and pay close attention at this intersection before we end up with a fender bender, or worse – someone gets hurt.