Despite the efforts of a group of concerned citizens, Wayne County officials have denied a request for a crosswalk across Joy Road to provide easier access to Salem High School.
The parents, residents of the Westbriar Village and Trillium Woods, made a formal request to the county for the crosswalk which would have allowed pedestrians to cross to and from property adjacent to the high school, part of the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park. The request was denied by Wayne County officials, according to a Nov. 17 communication from Joshua Meier, director of school safety and security for the school district.
Wayne County, which owns the two-land section of Joy Road where the crosswalk was requested, denied the request as county officials determined the area is “a bad place fir a mid-block crossing” according to Meier's statement. In addition, according to Meier, Wayne County Commissioner Melissa Daub will also request the removal of a section of sidewalk located north of Joy Road which has been used by students for several years to cross onto the campus. Students have reportedly crossed Joy Road to the high schools from a sidewalk that extends from Whittlesey Lake Road to Joy.
School officials have said students should be crossing Joy Road at the intersection of Joy and McCumpha, about a quarter mile away from the Whittlesey Lake sidewalk. Parents have said that the students will not walk the extra distance to get to or from the campus and have cited the high traffic in the area as a danger for the teens. Parents said that with buses arriving and departing during arrival and dismissal times, along with increased vehicle traffic, the area continues to be a danger for students.
