Quaker Valley Starts Up Shuttle Bus, Initiates Analyses of High School Property

Quaker Valley has piloted the use of a shuttle bus this school year to transport high school students from the stadium parking lot to the school each morning.

The shuttle is just one of several interim changes the district said is underway at the high school campus this school year in an effort to improve pedestrian and vehicular traffic safety, according to a news release.

“It’s important to note that the shuttle was not implemented for convenience or because students complained about walking up the hill,” Andrew Surloff, high school principal, said in a news release. “If we had the means to separate pedestrians and cars with proper paths, crosswalks and driving lanes, we would not have a need for a shuttle.”

The shuttle aims to eliminate walkers and and vehicles from crossing paths on the hill and at the top of the hill as buses and cars come around the building.

School officials said pedestrian traffic from the hill is especially dangerous once winter arrives and darkness and visibility become a problem.

Quaker Valley has made other interim additions and modifications to its high school campus and has moved forward with analyses of the school and property.

District officials said the efforts being implemented were included in the recommendations of the high school traffic safety advisory committee, an 18-member group of volunteers that presented findings to the school board in June after meeting over the course of four months.

Changes include: stop signs and other signage added; parking spaces adjacent to Beaver Street are eliminated to improve visibility when leaving campus; parking lines, crosswalks and fire lanes are repainted; and vegetation surrounding traffic and parking areas is trimmed or removed. 

This week, Leetsdale borough also upgraded the lighting along Beaver Street, directly in front of the high school.

According to a news release, the district has initiated talks with representatives from PennDOT to request safety improvements for those entering campus from Route 65. The district has requested a turning lane and additional signage that clearly cautions motorists of the school entrance.

Quaker Valley has also engaged two firms to determine the long-term viability of the current high school site.

Pittsburgh-based engineering firm Cadnetics is conducting an analysis to determine the high school building’s current structural dimensions, capacity and potential limitations.

Garvin, Boward, Beitko, a Pittsburgh-based geotechnical engineering firm, is completing core drilling to conduct a preliminary analysis of the underground soil conditions on and around the high school campus. 

“The work of these two engineering firms is the starting point for an architect and engineering team to properly analyze the building and surrounding campus,” Joseph Marrone, director of administrative services, said in a news release.

Findings from the building analysis and geotechnical studies will be used to help determine whether the current high school location can support a future renovation and expansion. 

“The results of the structural and geotechnical analyses are essential as the district considers long-term solutions for the high school traffic safety issue,” Superintendent Joseph Clapper said.

“Before moving forward," he said, "we need to know that 625 Beaver St. can accommodate a renovated/expanded high school facility.”

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