Filer residents share concerns over highway safety

FILER, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — U.S. Highway 30 runs through Filer and passes by high and middle schools. In the early morning, when school starts, and in the afternoon, when it lets out, the road can get very congested, making it unsafe for many drivers, especially high school drivers.

Drivers going West toward the high school must quickly slow down from 60 to 45 miles per hour. Those headed East are accelerating from 45 to 60 miles per hour.

K.C Pinther, a Filer resident, said the problem is a lot of drivers don’t slow down or have time to slow down. Traffic gets congested, making it unsafe for drivers to turn in and out of the school parking lot.

He has requested that the signs be adjusted to give drivers more time to slow down before they reach the school zone.

“I asked them if they could put the 45 mile an hour speed zone right here. We start it right here so everybody can see it,” Pinther said.

The other signs would move as well, thus giving drivers more of a chance to slow down sooner. He proposed this idea to the Greater Magic Valley Transportation Committee in December, a couple of months after his daughter had an accident in September.

Pinther said she was trying to pull onto the highway near the high school when another vehicle crashed into her. She was shaken but alright.

“She looked to her left, it was what she thought was clear, she looked to her right, thought it was clear. Pulls out and she missed the vehicle going westbound,” Pinther said.

It’s not just parents and citizens concerned about U.S. Highway 30; school officials also have their own concerns.

“We know that we have traffic slowing down from 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. at a 25 mph zone as you are crossing through filer,” Nate Losser, the Principal of Filer Middle School, said.

Losser said everyone from commuters to students use that roadway during school hours. He said steps have been taken near the middle school to help keep students safe.

“We’ve been working with the Department of Transportation, they’ve come in to train our crosswalk staff out there they’ve put up more signs. You’ll see ‘Bus Turn Around’ signs further on down the road than what we’ve had in the past,” Losser said.

Losser added more flashing signs have been put near the crosswalks to warn drivers to slow down, but further additions that help protect students are welcome.

Filer Police Chief Jeff Troumbley said they commonly receive complaints about U.S. Highway 30, and the department has an officer patrolling to help keep traffic under control and catch unsafe drivers.

“Working traffic control, traffic safety in the school zones, during the peak times of school. Primarily when the schools are letting out, it seems to be the most difficult time,” Chief Troumbley said.

Troumbley said the police department has conducted 300 traffic stops this year alone.

Pinther added that his request to move the signs for U.S. Highway 30 had been submitted to the Idaho Transportation Department. Right now, ITD is just gathering data.

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