Parent warns of unsafe bus stop at Rotary and University; asks board to relocate stop

A resident told the Monongalia County Board of Education that a bus stop at the corner of Rotary and University — near Kreps Park, Kroger and Black Bear — lacks a safe waiting area and should be moved.

Catherine Hazel said she measured vehicle speeds at the site in June and found cars averaged 44.1 miles per hour with a vehicle passing about every 5.5 seconds. She told the board there is no gap between sidewalk and street at the stop and that recent school changes (Suncrest Primary School closure and Suncrest Middle School opening) and shifting neighborhood demographics will increase demand for the stop.

Hazel said the transportation department told her that people should call police about speeding, and that the department had not considered the recent changes in neighborhood needs. She said the stop previously used at the confluence of Elmhurst, Laurel and Fairlawns — about three blocks away and used in 2024–25 — offered a larger sidewalk, traffic calming and a grassy waiting area and was much safer. She projected about 40 children will need the stop within five years and asked the district to return the stop to the safer location and consider additional stops for the neighborhood.

Hazel demonstrated crowding concerns in the meeting room using a small “red carpet” to show how many children and adults might wait at the stop. The board did not take immediate action at the meeting; the remark was made during the public-comment portion and was forwarded to the transportation department for follow-up.