Claiborne Parish selects STC systems for deployment on Safe Routes to School Grant

TEMPE, AZ - 03/02/2008 - Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, is located in rural Louisiana near its northwest corner. The parish contacted Solar Traffic Controls in 2008 to offer designs for school flashers with radar speed signs to be deployed in key locations around parish schools. Once a design and costs were established, Janet Holland of the school district applied for a Safe Routes to School grant to pay for the equipment.

The design of the equipment included dual 8-inch amber DC LED lamps and a 3M Driver Feedback-Urban style radar sign. Systems are configured for operation around arrival and dismissal of students each day when the flashing beacons, located on either side of the S5-1 sign, will flash and the 3M signs display the speeds of vehicles as they approach the school zones. The parish expressed great satisfaction with the radar signs since they feature the ability to display speed in steady yellow, flashing yellow, steady red and/or flashing red. All the display modes can be set at user-defined speed thresholds. An added feature: a white strobe mode to flash at drivers under certain user-defined conditions of speed violation.

Since the parish had no experience with this type of equipment it opted to have on-site engineering assistance from STC. President Joe Wise, along with STC's regional sales representative Floyd Hobbs of Traffic Highway Products provided the support. The parish school district provided a facility and three of its employees for the project. A total of five systems on five poles were assembled at the parish facilities the first day on site. On the second day three of the units were taken to the field around the main parish school building in Homer and stood up within the first 2 hours. The other two units were taken to the town of Haynesville and stood up in the afternoon.

To date, feedback from throughout the parish has been very positive. Speeding around the school zones has been reduced as noted by the high number of brake lights seen on vehicles as they approach the school zones when the systems are operational. The data collection function of the signs will be employed later to survey motorists behavior.

About Solar Traffic Controls
Solar Traffic Controls (STC) designs and manufactures solar-powered traffic control systems for city, state and federal DOTs. Its primary products are solar-powered flashing beacon systems used for school zones and 24-hour applications. STC's equipment and services will save you time, effort and money.