Slow down: Parents fight for new school zone signs

KING COUNTY -- Parents upset with drivers speeding through a school zone hope new flashing signs will get them to slow down. Outside Carriage Crest Elementary, new school zone beacons were turned on Monday morning.

“Traffic is always going very fast even faster than 40,” said parent Frode Langelo.

Langelo and other parents were frustrated with drivers zipping by as they walked their kids to school off 140th Avenue SE near SE Petrovitsky Road. Langelo said he contacted King County and found out they didn’t have the money to replace the existing signs. Langelo and other parents started a GoFundMe page to raise up to $12,000 to install new signs with the flashing lights.

When Q13 Fox contacted the county about the issue, officials looked into the school zone and hours later decided to install the new signs. A county official said they couldn’t accept money from parents, but wanted to work with them and make the street safer.

“There is so many schools and elementary schools in this district that I`m sure other schools have problems and I would encourage more parents to stand up,” said parent Karen Gates.

County officials said they re-examined this year’s budget to find the money to pay for the school zone lights.

“We are all super happy that such a super-fast resolution came to this,” said Langelo.

Langelo has since deactivated the GoFundMe page, which was up to over $1,000. He plans on returning any money to the people who donated