The Star's survey on school zone speeders:
By Staff
Aug. 26, 2001
The Meridian Star conducted a school zone traffic survey last Friday morning with the help of Meridian Police Department officials. The survey was conducted on Eighth Street at 44th Avenue in the Carver Middle School zone. The speed limit there is 35 mph, except during drop off and pick up times when the speed limit drops to 15 mph. The survey was conducted during a 10-minute period, from 7:35 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. A flashing yellow light indicated to drivers the speed limit is 15 mph. Only cars traveling west were counted. Here are the results:
No drivers complied with the 15 mph speed limit.
Thirty eight drivers exceeded the 35 mph limit.
Eleven drivers complied with the 35 mph limit.
The top speed was clocked at 59 mph.
The average speed of drivers exceeding the speed limit was 44 mph.
Speeders included four school buses, with one school bus being clocked at 46 mph. Note: Meridian Public Schools buses, Lauderdale County Schools buses and Headstart buses travel through the city limits. It was not determined to which district the speeding buses belonged.
What you told us:
Jason Chisolm,
MPS Transportation Director.
Mary Neely, mother of a Carver student.
Principal Robert Markham, Carver Middle School.
Dr. Janet McLin, Superintendent of Meridian Public Schools.