Cleves Village resident urges action on school-area roundabout safety

During the public comment period of a Cleves Village council meeting, resident Diane Wymer urged officials to address traffic and pedestrian safety at a roundabout near the village school, saying the intersection frequently backs up and poses a risk to children and drivers.

Wymer, who identified herself as a longtime resident, said the roundabout creates congestion each morning and afternoon and that drivers often bypass proper yielding, creating safety concerns for students using nearby crosswalks. “What I need to see every single morning and every single afternoon is the roundabout,” Wymer said. “I know that there’s probably not a real way to address that, but that is a big safety problem.”

Wymer told the council the first crosswalk near the school is staffed in the morning, but she said the upper crossing at Centerline and Grace does not have a crossing guard. She also said she recently noticed a newly installed flashing speed-limit sign on Cooper near the roundabout and that vehicle backups can extend onto nearby streets, sometimes holding “about 30 cars” in the roundabout and forcing drivers to take alternate routes.

The resident described the practical effect on families and commuters, saying backups have caused her to change routes to get to work. She also said repeated reminders to children about crossing rules have not solved the problem because some drivers do not yield.

A council member thanked Wymer for her comments and asked if any members had questions. No formal action or directive was recorded in the transcript during the public comment segment on this item.