Changes Coming to Panther Lane

LIBERTY, December 3, 2010 -When students and faculty return to Liberty High School after the holidays, there will be a noticeable change on Panther Lane. The City of Liberty will be installing stop signs for better traffic control.

Although Panther Lane is a city street by definition, over the years drivers have treated it more like a long driveway. But now, with the development and construction of the Trinity Garden Apartments at the end of Panther Lane, traffic control has become an issue. The Liberty High School parking lot and the Liberty Senior Activity Center parking lot both intersect with Panther Lane at the same location. Neither parking lot has stop signs, so drivers tend to just turn on Panther Lane as if it were a driveway. That’s a potential problem for vehicles already on Panther Lane, which legally have the right-of-way.

City of Liberty Public Works Director Harvey Joiner explains, “State law says that a driver leaving a parking lot onto a roadway, must come to a complete stop before doing so. But over the years, drivers have become lax when on Panther Lane because there wasn’t much going on down there. Now, with the increased usage of Panther Lane as a city street, we’re hoping the proper signage in place will help avoid accidents.

School Resource Officer Hugh Bishop agrees. “With a high school, a senior citizen center, and a retirement community at one intersection, we have the least experienced drivers and the most experienced drivers routinely crossing paths. The new stop signs will assist everybody.

Harvey Joiner says the new signs will be installed during the LISD Christmas break. There will be one sign at the High School driveway that exits onto Panther Lane. There will also be three signs at each of the parking lot exits from the senior center onto Panther Lane. Traffic leaving and entering Trinity Garden Apartments will have the right-of-way, since those drivers will already be on the street, and parking lots have to yield to streets.

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