Petition to Improve & Enforce School Safety Zones Around Thunderbird High School

As a 15-year-old student at Thunderbird High School, I’m starting this petition because I genuinely believe something needs to change about the safety around our school.

Thunderbird Road is a road that I, along with so many other students, have to deal with every single day. Students walk, bike, get dropped off, drive, and cross this road while going to and from school. It’s already a busy road with major highways nearby, and during school arrival and dismissal, it gets even more chaotic with cars, buses, parents, and students all trying to get through the same area.

Just a few weeks ago, a Thunderbird High School student was tragically hit and killed by a speeding driver. I was briefly friends with this person back in middle school, which made hearing about what happened especially difficult for me. Sadly, this wasn’t an isolated incident. There has also been another serious incident involving an elementary school student being hit on Thunderbird Road.

I’ve personally had multiple close calls on this road, and I know I’m not the only student who has experienced how dangerous it can be. Students shouldn’t have to be scared of getting hit by a car just because we’re walking home from school.

Because of these incidents, I think it’s time for our city and school officials to seriously look at the traffic situation around Thunderbird High School and take action before something else happens.

What we are asking for:

• A clearly designated school zone around Thunderbird High School.
We are asking officials to review the current school-zone boundaries and determine whether they actually cover the areas where students are walking, crossing, getting picked up, and traveling to and from school.

• Stronger enforcement of the existing school-zone rules.
A school zone only helps if drivers actually follow it. We are asking for increased enforcement of school-zone speed limits, especially during school arrival and dismissal when the largest number of students are outside.

• Clear, visible, and properly placed school-zone signs.
Drivers should have plenty of warning that they are approaching a school area. We are asking for highly visible signs and, where appropriate, flashing school-zone or pedestrian warning signs so drivers have a better chance of noticing students and slowing down.

• A review of pedestrian crossings around Thunderbird High School.
We want officials to look at where students currently cross Thunderbird Road and determine whether additional crosswalks, pedestrian signals, improved markings, or other pedestrian-safety measures are needed.

• Better protection for students walking along Thunderbird Road.
Officials should look at the routes students actually use and identify areas where sidewalks, crossings, signs, lighting, or other safety improvements could help make those routes safer.

• Increased traffic enforcement during school release.
Dismissal is one of the busiest and most unpredictable times around the school. We are asking officials to consider increased traffic enforcement during these periods to help discourage speeding, distracted driving, failure to yield, and other dangerous driving behaviors.

• A review of the traffic flow around the school.
We are asking the city and school district to look at how cars, buses, pedestrians, and students are moving through the area during arrival and dismissal and determine whether changes could reduce dangerous interactions between vehicles and students.

• Student and community input.
Students are the people actually using these roads every day. We are asking officials to listen to students, parents, teachers, and school staff about where they have experienced close calls or feel unsafe, and to take those concerns into consideration when planning improvements.

I understand that changes like these take time, planning, and cooperation between the city, school district, and other officials. I’m not expecting everything to change overnight. I just want our concerns to actually be heard and for something to be done about them.

We shouldn’t have to wait until another student is seriously injured or another family has to go through something heartbreaking before this becomes a priority.

This isn’t just about one student or one incident. This is about everyone who has to use Thunderbird Road every day. Students deserve to be able to walk to school, leave school, cross the road, and get home without having to worry about whether a speeding or distracted driver is going to hit them.

I’m asking students, parents, teachers, staff, and community members to sign this petition and help show our city officials that this is something our community genuinely cares about.

We are asking for a properly designated and enforced school zone, safer pedestrian crossings, clearer warning signs, increased traffic enforcement, and a serious review of the areas surrounding Thunderbird High School.

We can’t undo the tragedies that have already happened, but we can try to make sure it doesn’t happen again.