Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — With no sidewalks on Ottoville Road, a very busy street with traffic and pedestrians and many vehicles speeding, Pacific Horizons School (PHS) — next to the main Ottoville Road — is requesting Public Works Department director Faleosina Voigt for help.

PHS director Caroline Tuiolosega and the school’s board chair, Sonja Stanley-Galeai, made the request in a letter yesterday, saying that on “behalf of the community of Pacific Horizons School and the safety of our students,” they are requesting the following:

•           a crosswalk sign be put on Ottoville Road between the school and TEC — the small store across the street (Samoa News notes that many PHS students frequent this store, which has a very small parking lot and also a laundromat.)

•           school zone signs to be posted near the school on Ottoville Road

•           speed bump(s) to be installed on Ottoville Road near Jason Street

“Pacific Horizons School is willing and happy to purchase signage and materials to make these needed changes,” the letter said. “We are requesting help with the installation.”

Tuiolosega and Stanley-Galeai thanked Voigt for “consideration of our request on behalf of the safety of our students.”

Rep. Larry S. Sanitoa submitted the letter to Voigt, and informed her that “this is similar to the previous request made by the residents of the Ottoville area, who continually express their grave concerns on the lack of safety speed limit measures or devices to slow down motorists frequenting the Ottoville Road.”

“Needless to say, there are no sidewalks on this street and residents, especially young people are literally using the road as a walkway,” Sanitoa pointed out.

Furthermore, with the new Leapaga/ Fonoti road nearing completion, there will definitely be an increase in traffic on the Ottoville Road, according to the lawmaker.

Following a site visit on Wednesday, with Sen. Magalei Logovi’i, Rep. Sam Meleisea and three others, Sanitoa said, “I am pleased to hear that DPW is currently assessing the location of speed bumps for the Ottoville Road.”

The main road in the Ottoville area is frequently used and many motorists speed along this road, even when there are students from PHS on the side of the road. And a Samoa News staffer observed on Wednesday afternoon a similar situation with students from PHS and some from Kanana Fou High School down the street — having to take precautions due to speeding vehicles.

Another hazard issue on this road is for people riding bikes. They are forced to encounter heavy traffic, speeding vehicles, and have little to no ‘maneuvering’ room that will eventually cause a serious accident.

Some residents in the past have also requested police vehicles to monitor this road, before and after working hours, but this has not happened.