Wheatland Middle School students were recognized for their design and creation of a billboard that supports the City of Lancaster’s involvement with the Vision Zero movement to eliminate traffic-related deaths and serious injuries. Students were invited to design a billboard that addressed the problem of aggressive driving around pedestrians and bicyclists. The winning design was transformed into a billboard that is on display beside J.P. McCaskey High School, near McDonalds.
The Center for Traffic Safety collaborated with several agencies to bring a “Vision Zero” grant to Lancaster City. The grant will allow the city to evaluate infrastructure, safety, enforcement, signage, and much more to keep the public safe.
“We are proud of the work our students created and the effort they contributed to this contest,” Wheatland Principal Don Trost said. “Early buy-in to traffic safety can have a lasting impact on our students.”
The four student design winners are Diovanni Caraballo, Ezekiel Neff, Kazchmir Peligrina Marmolejos, and Ella Proud. Each student received a $100 check from State Farm.
“Oftentimes, when we are walking to and from somewhere, cars almost never slow down at crosswalks and are in bicycle lanes which makes it unsafe for us and other bicyclists,” shared Wheatland 8th grade student Kazchmir Peligrina Marmolejos. “Because of this, we wanted to try and design something that was eye catching and would help to save lives.”
Partnering in this project are: Center for Traffic Safety, State Farm, City of Lancaster, Lancaster City Bureau of Police, Department of Public Works, the School District of Lancaster, and the Highway Safety Network.