GOULD STREET BUS STOP SAFETY PETITION
GOULD STREET BUS STOP SAFETY PETITION
The Issue
Request for Immediate Safety Review and Relocation of Bus Stop
To: School Board, Superintendent, and School Transportation Department
We, the undersigned parents, guardians, residents, and community members, are respectfully requesting an immediate safety review of the current school bus stop located on Gould Street and consideration of relocating the bus stop to a safer location.
Our concern is the health, safety, and welfare of the children who are required to use this bus stop.
The current location presents several serious safety concerns:
Children are required to wait and board the school bus in an area with moving vehicle traffic and limited safe space.
There is inadequate space for parents to safely park or wait with their children without potentially obstructing traffic.
Children may be moving near or into the roadway while waiting for the bus.
There are concerns regarding visibility and the ability of approaching drivers to safely see children in the area.
Several children who use this bus stop have special needs and may require additional consideration when determining whether a bus stop provides an adequately safe and appropriate environment.
There have been conflicts between adults occurring at or around the bus stop while children are present.
On the morning of September 30, 2026, a significant altercation occurred in front of children, resulting in police being called.
Children were exposed to yelling, arguing, and a highly stressful confrontation immediately before school.
During the incident, a resident also brought a dog outside during the confrontation, creating an additional safety concern.
A child was nearly struck by a passing vehicle due to the unsafe circumstances surrounding the bus-stop area.
We are concerned that winter weather, including snow, ice, snowbanks, and reduced visibility, will make these existing safety concerns substantially worse.
These circumstances create an environment that we believe requires immediate attention before a child is seriously injured.
REQUEST
We respectfully request that the School Board and Transportation Department:
1. Immediately conduct a documented safety assessment of the Gould Street bus stop.
2. Evaluate the safety of the location for all students who use the stop, including students with disabilities or special needs.
3. Evaluate traffic flow, pedestrian safety, visibility, available parking, roadway conditions, and the ability of children to safely wait for and board the bus.
4. Consider the additional safety risks created by winter weather conditions.
5. Review the circumstances surrounding the recent altercation and police response involving the bus-stop area.
6. Consider returning the bus stop to its previous location or establishing another location that provides a safer loading and unloading environment.
7. If the current location cannot adequately provide for the safety and welfare of the students, relocate the bus stop or provide another appropriate transportation arrangement.
8. Establish and communicate clear expectations for adult conduct at or near the bus stop while children are present.
9. Consider whether additional supervision, traffic control, signage, lighting, or other temporary safety measures are necessary while the review is pending.
10. Notify parents and guardians in writing about the safety review process, anticipated timeline, and any interim measures being considered.
11. Consult with the school bus driver, affected families, local law enforcement, municipal officials, and other relevant safety professionals as part of the assessment.
12. Document any reported incidents, near misses, traffic hazards, and weather-related concerns associated with the current bus-stop location.
13. Evaluate whether the current stop provides sufficient space for children to remain safely away from moving traffic while waiting to board.
14. Assess whether children can safely cross, approach, or leave the bus-stop area without entering the roadway unnecessarily.
15. Review sight distances for motorists, pedestrians, children, and the school bus, including conditions during darkness, rain, snow, and other reduced-visibility situations.
16. Determine whether snow removal, ice control, drainage, and maintenance practices adequately support safe access to the bus stop throughout the school year.
17. Evaluate whether the location is accessible and appropriate for students with mobility limitations, sensory needs, developmental disabilities, or other special transportation needs.
18. Consider whether the bus stop’s location, timing, and loading procedures create avoidable congestion or conflicts among vehicles, pedestrians, parents, residents, and students.
19. Review whether the current bus-stop arrangement complies with applicable school transportation policies, safety procedures, and legal requirements.
20. Provide the community with a written summary of the safety assessment and the reasons for any decision to retain, modify, or relocate the bus stop.
21. Identify a specific contact person whom parents and guardians may notify about future safety concerns or incidents involving the bus stop.
22. Establish a process for promptly reporting and responding to threats, confrontations, unsafe driving, animals, or other hazards near the bus stop.
23. Consider whether temporary relocation is appropriate while the safety assessment is being completed.
24. Evaluate alternative locations based on student safety rather than convenience alone.
25. Consider whether the previous bus-stop location provided safer separation from traffic, better visibility, more room for students, or fewer conflicts.
26. Review whether the current location has adequate lighting during morning pickup times, particularly during the fall and winter months.
27. Assess whether drivers approaching the bus stop receive sufficient warning that children may be present and that a school bus may be loading or unloading.
28. Consider additional signage, pavement markings, barriers, cones, or other measures that could reduce the risk of children entering the roadway.
29. Evaluate whether parents and guardians have a safe and lawful place to wait with children without blocking travel lanes, driveways, sidewalks, or emergency access.
30. Review whether the bus can stop, load, and depart without forcing children to stand in unsafe areas or requiring vehicles to pass too closely.
31. Consider whether the school district should coordinate with the municipality regarding roadway design, parking restrictions, traffic enforcement, or pedestrian improvements.
32. Determine whether any recent changes to the bus route, stop location, traffic pattern, construction, parking, or neighborhood conditions have affected safety.
33. Review whether the bus driver has reported concerns about the stop, including visibility, student behavior, traffic, parking, weather, or adult conflicts.
34. Consider whether a written emergency or incident-response plan is needed for serious events occurring at or near the bus stop.
35. Ensure that students and families receive age-appropriate guidance about waiting safely, remaining away from traffic, and responding to conflicts or emergencies.
36. Evaluate whether the district should provide additional support for students who may have difficulty responding safely to sudden traffic, confrontations, animals, or other unexpected events.
37. Consider whether the bus stop should be reviewed periodically rather than only after an accident or serious incident.
38. Establish measurable safety criteria that must be satisfied before the current location is retained.
39. Provide a reasonable opportunity for affected families and community members to submit written comments or participate in a public discussion regarding the bus-stop location.
40. Take all reasonably necessary steps to protect students from foreseeable traffic, environmental, behavioral, and accessibility hazards associated with the Gould Street bus stop.
Maine law, 20-A M.R.S. § 5401(12), provides that transportation provided by a school administrative unit “shall conserve the comfort, safety and welfare of the students conveyed.” (Maine State Legislature)
We are asking the School Board and school administration to take this requirement seriously and evaluate whether the current Gould Street location satisfies that safety obligation.
This petition is not about convenience or personal preference regarding the location of a bus stop. It is about ensuring that children have a safe place to wait for, approach, and board their school bus without being exposed to unnecessary traffic hazards, conflicts, or other foreseeable dangers.
We respectfully ask the School Board to investigate this matter before a preventable accident occurs.
We request that the Board provide a written response regarding the safety assessment, the findings, and what steps will be taken to address the concerns raised by the parents and community members signing this petition.
SIGNATURES
By signing below, I am expressing my concern regarding the safety of the current Gould Street bus stop and requesting that the school district conduct an immediate safety review and consider relocating the stop if the current location cannot adequately protect students.
74
The Issue
Request for Immediate Safety Review and Relocation of Bus Stop
To: School Board, Superintendent, and School Transportation Department
We, the undersigned parents, guardians, residents, and community members, are respectfully requesting an immediate safety review of the current school bus stop located on Gould Street and consideration of relocating the bus stop to a safer location.
Our concern is the health, safety, and welfare of the children who are required to use this bus stop.
The current location presents several serious safety concerns:
Children are required to wait and board the school bus in an area with moving vehicle traffic and limited safe space.
There is inadequate space for parents to safely park or wait with their children without potentially obstructing traffic.
Children may be moving near or into the roadway while waiting for the bus.
There are concerns regarding visibility and the ability of approaching drivers to safely see children in the area.
Several children who use this bus stop have special needs and may require additional consideration when determining whether a bus stop provides an adequately safe and appropriate environment.
There have been conflicts between adults occurring at or around the bus stop while children are present.
On the morning of September 30, 2026, a significant altercation occurred in front of children, resulting in police being called.
Children were exposed to yelling, arguing, and a highly stressful confrontation immediately before school.
During the incident, a resident also brought a dog outside during the confrontation, creating an additional safety concern.
A child was nearly struck by a passing vehicle due to the unsafe circumstances surrounding the bus-stop area.
We are concerned that winter weather, including snow, ice, snowbanks, and reduced visibility, will make these existing safety concerns substantially worse.
These circumstances create an environment that we believe requires immediate attention before a child is seriously injured.
REQUEST
We respectfully request that the School Board and Transportation Department:
1. Immediately conduct a documented safety assessment of the Gould Street bus stop.
2. Evaluate the safety of the location for all students who use the stop, including students with disabilities or special needs.
3. Evaluate traffic flow, pedestrian safety, visibility, available parking, roadway conditions, and the ability of children to safely wait for and board the bus.
4. Consider the additional safety risks created by winter weather conditions.
5. Review the circumstances surrounding the recent altercation and police response involving the bus-stop area.
6. Consider returning the bus stop to its previous location or establishing another location that provides a safer loading and unloading environment.
7. If the current location cannot adequately provide for the safety and welfare of the students, relocate the bus stop or provide another appropriate transportation arrangement.
8. Establish and communicate clear expectations for adult conduct at or near the bus stop while children are present.
9. Consider whether additional supervision, traffic control, signage, lighting, or other temporary safety measures are necessary while the review is pending.
10. Notify parents and guardians in writing about the safety review process, anticipated timeline, and any interim measures being considered.
11. Consult with the school bus driver, affected families, local law enforcement, municipal officials, and other relevant safety professionals as part of the assessment.
12. Document any reported incidents, near misses, traffic hazards, and weather-related concerns associated with the current bus-stop location.
13. Evaluate whether the current stop provides sufficient space for children to remain safely away from moving traffic while waiting to board.
14. Assess whether children can safely cross, approach, or leave the bus-stop area without entering the roadway unnecessarily.
15. Review sight distances for motorists, pedestrians, children, and the school bus, including conditions during darkness, rain, snow, and other reduced-visibility situations.
16. Determine whether snow removal, ice control, drainage, and maintenance practices adequately support safe access to the bus stop throughout the school year.
17. Evaluate whether the location is accessible and appropriate for students with mobility limitations, sensory needs, developmental disabilities, or other special transportation needs.
18. Consider whether the bus stop’s location, timing, and loading procedures create avoidable congestion or conflicts among vehicles, pedestrians, parents, residents, and students.
19. Review whether the current bus-stop arrangement complies with applicable school transportation policies, safety procedures, and legal requirements.
20. Provide the community with a written summary of the safety assessment and the reasons for any decision to retain, modify, or relocate the bus stop.
21. Identify a specific contact person whom parents and guardians may notify about future safety concerns or incidents involving the bus stop.
22. Establish a process for promptly reporting and responding to threats, confrontations, unsafe driving, animals, or other hazards near the bus stop.
23. Consider whether temporary relocation is appropriate while the safety assessment is being completed.
24. Evaluate alternative locations based on student safety rather than convenience alone.
25. Consider whether the previous bus-stop location provided safer separation from traffic, better visibility, more room for students, or fewer conflicts.
26. Review whether the current location has adequate lighting during morning pickup times, particularly during the fall and winter months.
27. Assess whether drivers approaching the bus stop receive sufficient warning that children may be present and that a school bus may be loading or unloading.
28. Consider additional signage, pavement markings, barriers, cones, or other measures that could reduce the risk of children entering the roadway.
29. Evaluate whether parents and guardians have a safe and lawful place to wait with children without blocking travel lanes, driveways, sidewalks, or emergency access.
30. Review whether the bus can stop, load, and depart without forcing children to stand in unsafe areas or requiring vehicles to pass too closely.
31. Consider whether the school district should coordinate with the municipality regarding roadway design, parking restrictions, traffic enforcement, or pedestrian improvements.
32. Determine whether any recent changes to the bus route, stop location, traffic pattern, construction, parking, or neighborhood conditions have affected safety.
33. Review whether the bus driver has reported concerns about the stop, including visibility, student behavior, traffic, parking, weather, or adult conflicts.
34. Consider whether a written emergency or incident-response plan is needed for serious events occurring at or near the bus stop.
35. Ensure that students and families receive age-appropriate guidance about waiting safely, remaining away from traffic, and responding to conflicts or emergencies.
36. Evaluate whether the district should provide additional support for students who may have difficulty responding safely to sudden traffic, confrontations, animals, or other unexpected events.
37. Consider whether the bus stop should be reviewed periodically rather than only after an accident or serious incident.
38. Establish measurable safety criteria that must be satisfied before the current location is retained.
39. Provide a reasonable opportunity for affected families and community members to submit written comments or participate in a public discussion regarding the bus-stop location.
40. Take all reasonably necessary steps to protect students from foreseeable traffic, environmental, behavioral, and accessibility hazards associated with the Gould Street bus stop.
Maine law, 20-A M.R.S. § 5401(12), provides that transportation provided by a school administrative unit “shall conserve the comfort, safety and welfare of the students conveyed.” (Maine State Legislature)
We are asking the School Board and school administration to take this requirement seriously and evaluate whether the current Gould Street location satisfies that safety obligation.
This petition is not about convenience or personal preference regarding the location of a bus stop. It is about ensuring that children have a safe place to wait for, approach, and board their school bus without being exposed to unnecessary traffic hazards, conflicts, or other foreseeable dangers.
We respectfully ask the School Board to investigate this matter before a preventable accident occurs.
We request that the Board provide a written response regarding the safety assessment, the findings, and what steps will be taken to address the concerns raised by the parents and community members signing this petition.
SIGNATURES
By signing below, I am expressing my concern regarding the safety of the current Gould Street bus stop and requesting that the school district conduct an immediate safety review and consider relocating the stop if the current location cannot adequately protect students.
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Petition created on September 30, 2026