I am writing about a very important issue that my neighbors and I have concerning the change in bus route for this year.

I have contacted the School Administrative District 6 Transportation Department about this and apparently they don’t feel that it is a problem.

I live on Main Street (Route 11) in Steep Falls and it is a very busy and dangerous road. This is an old neighborhood with most of the homes within 10 to 15 feet of the road, which means we are very close to single lane road in either direction.

In past years the school bus has stopped pretty much between houses where the children have plenty of open space in someone’s driveway so they do not have to worry about the vehicles going by the narrow lane road.

But this year, in an effort to save dollars, which is certainly understandable, they have determined that they want the middle school and high school children, ages 11 to 18, to walk to the intersection of routes 11 and 113 to catch the bus.

There are no sidewalks and with the many tanker, logging and trailer trucks that travel this road we consider it a hazard to our children to be walking on the dirt on the side of the traffic lane when these vehicles travel by -many at speeds considerably above the posted 25 mph speed limit.

We estimate trucks travel at least 50 mph and sometimes 60 to 70 mph through this area. Our neighborhood has been complaining to the town of Standish and to the Cumberland County Department for years now with no good results.

This walk is very dangerous during the best of conditions but, in the winter it is very, very hazardous due to the fact that even when the road is plowed on time there is no room for the children to walk on the side of the travel lane.

Also, the children will be carrying their backpacks and if they are on sports teams they will also be carrying their sports equipment. That by itself is bad enough but then we have to worry about where the children are going to stand to wait for the bus during the winter and spring.

Right now they can go through the park at the intersection, but during the winter the park may not be plowed and during thaws the park is extremely muddy and wet and the children will be unable to walk through it. I don’t want my children standing in a snow bank to keep off the road to be safe.

Their only option will be to stand in the road at the corner of route 11 and 113 and with the slippery conditions during the winter this would certainly minimize the safety of our children.

It is nerve-wracking to watch an adult walk this road let alone children. My neighbors and I are very concerned about the safety of our children due to this change.

I have three children who are affected by this change (14+ in the neighborhood) and I don’t want to have to worry every time they have to walk to the bus stop or when they get off the bus to come home.

As I mentioned above I do understand that budget cuts and dollar savings are necessary but I do not for one moment believe that it should come at the risk of our children’s safety to accomplish this.

I appeal to the SAD 6 Transportation Department, the School Board and other agencies to reconsider this reassignment of the bus route and let us go back to the safety of previous years.

Denise Martell

Steep Falls