School starts create traffic jams
Published by Jeff September 6th, 2006 in Drew Central News, Monticello School News.
Since Monticello Schools started last week, parents and motorists have had to endure traffic jams that often cause prolonged delays. The first three days of school saw traffic direction from the Monticello Police Department. However, since then police have parked on the shoulders in front of Monticello Elementary School and Monticello Intermediate School without providing traffic direction.
Several parents and motorists have expressed their concern that police seem to be causing more problems by ticketing motorists than they are helping to relieve traffic congestion. “I would really like for the school district to relate with the highway department. It’s worse this year than last year,” said Paige Chase, who has children attending MES and MIS.
The Old Warren Road in front of Monticello High School was widened last year, but roads in front of the other schools remain without turning lanes, often forcing motorists to turn left into the schools from the right shoulder of the road.
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5 Responses to “School starts create traffic jams”
- 1 Pingback on Nov 15th, 2006 at 5:22 pm
Excuse me I do not agree that the Police are causing the problems, could they writing tickets to the people who are not obeying our laws. Maybe it’s the people who are driving too fast in a school zone, passing when they shouldn’t and generaly have no concern for anyone but themself that are the problem.
I wonder if those same people that are complaining about us writing citations to people breaking the traffic laws would feel the same if we stopped, and one of those very vehicles we had been stopping ran over one of their children or grand children, or maybe collided with their vehicle b/c we didn’t stop them from speeding or passing where they shouldn’t. But I bet until it happens to you, you will continue to complain about our Police Department doing the job we were hired to do.
I don’t believe the article was meant to be a personal attack on the MPD-the problem is the way the traffic is lined up and that there are no turning lanes.The long lines are a dangerous situation for anyone who is NOT breaking the law in any form or fashion,as well as those who choose to break the lawI also dont believe that anyone has a specific problem with the ticket writing but the lack of traffic direction.
Mr. Hollinger,
I have heard that if someone is involved in an accident while on the shoulder of the road, they are at fault for not being legally in a lane of traffic. Yet MES has vociferously encouraged this practice. Shouldn’t the MPD work together with the school district to ensure that they are not advising parents to engage in unsafe/illegal driving practices in front of the schools?
Also, why not err on the side of the law and instead of writing fewer citations, begin citing everyone who is driving on the shoulder where it is clearly marked “NO DRIVING ON SHOULDER”??? I don’t think you could do that short of citing every parent picking up children at MES! For goodness sakes, something needs to be done before an accident does happen.