(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Colorado Springs School District 11 (D11) is collaborating with city leaders and local law enforcement to enhance student safety as they travel to school this year.

The initiative comes after a student at Doherty High School was hit by a vehicle in 2022, prompting the district and city to implement new school zones for secondary schools.

“Put down your phones, your devices, anything that might distract you from driving. Safety of our children is paramount,” said Paul Malchow from the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD).

Todd Frisbie, a traffic engineer for the City of Colorado Springs, emphasized the importance of slowing vehicles around middle and high schools during peak times due to high activity levels.

CSPD issued over 2,200 speeding tickets in school zones last year, which is one of the ways they are funding the safety projects.

The new school zones feature lower speed limits, and CSPD is actively ensuring drivers adhere to these rules, with fines doubled in school zones.

With these efforts, Colorado Springs aims to provide a safer environment for students commuting to school, whether by car, bus, walking, or biking.

The partnership has already remapped zones for nearly a dozen schools over the past two years and plans to add a dozen more in the next two years, aiming to protect students of all ages.

The schools next on the list are:

Vista Ridge High School

Sierra High School

Cheyenne Mountain High School

Jack Swigert Aerospace Academy

Fox Meadow Middle School

Nikola Tesla Education Opportunity Center

Mann Middle School

Atlas Prep

Panorama Middle School

West Middle School

Palmer High School

Fremont Elementary School

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