Ever notice that New Orleans schools often let out far later in the day than current school zone times? 
With increasingly longer school days, our school zones are woefully obsolete. That’s why the city is changing its times this summer in preparation for the 2012-2013 school year. The times will change from 7:30am-8:45am to 7:00am-9:00am and from 2:30pm-3:45pm to 2:45pm-4:45pm. The KidsWalk Coalition informed this decision by reaching out to public schools to determine their various start and close times.
We applaud the this change to accommodate shifting school operation schedules. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle moving 20 mph has a 5 percent chance of dying. As vehicle speed increases to 30 mph and 40 mph, the likelihood that the pedestrian will be killed increases to 45 percent and 85 percent respectively (U.K. Department of Transportation, Killing Speed and Saving Lives, London, 1987). By slowing driver speeds, the expanded school zone hours will enhance the much-need opportunity for New Orleans children and families to be physically active by walking and biking to school.
kidswalknoladotorg.wordpress.com 