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Since You Asked: Grace Christian didn't warrant speed zone Sunday Oct 23, 2016 at 12:01 AM Why isn’t there a school speed zone in front of Grace Christian School? Public schools, as well as other private schools in the area, have reduced speeds and the appropriate signs posted, but not Grace. What's the reasoning behind that? — Caleb S., Medford Caleb, Grace Christian School didn’t warrant a school speed zone for two reasons: one, it’s set back from Crater Lake Avenue and, two, most of its students are bused in or dropped off by parents. According to Oregon Department of Transportation’s “A Guide to School Area Safety,” some schools, for example those “where no children might regularly walk or bike to school,” don’t necessarily have a school speed zone. “A school zone does not automatically have a 20 mph school zone speed limit,” the guide said. Medford Public Works Director Cory Crebbin said Grace Christian has a large parking lot separating it from Crater Lake Avenue and doesn’t get a lot of foot traffic. Further, an unwarranted speed zone could do more harm than good, he said. Some drivers will slow down, while others are unlikely to heed school speed signs if it’s not obvious a school is nearby, as is the case with Grace, which is housed in First Baptist Church. “And those differences in speed increase crashes,” he said. — Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them.