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The afternoon carpool line from Brookwood Forest Elementary stops traffic on South Brookwood Road. Parents are concerned about cars going around traffic in the opposite lane, which has prompted the city to conduct a traffic study of the area. Photo by Madoline Markham.
Each day at 2:50 p.m., Kimberly Fasking grows concerned. As she sits in the carpool line at Brookwood Forest Elementary, the mother of six frequently sees cars going around the line of traffic by driving the wrong way on South Brookwood Road toward the school.
“Although the police say what these drivers are doing is not illegal, it is definitely a hazard,” she said.
Fasking has had children at the school for the past nine years, but it is only in the past year that the issue with cars going around has escalated.
As a result of Fasking and other parents voicing concerns about this issue to the city, action is being taken. The city council approved a Skipper Consulting study for traffic solutions around the school at its Oct. 13 meeting.
In 2003 Skipper conducted a study of the area and suggested extensive projects estimated around $65,000 and $120,000 to add additional lanes on school property to accommodate more cars in the queue, but no action was taken.
Last spring more cars were beginning to go around the traffic, so some parents called the police department and asked for their help. The department put up signs and tried to reprimand parents who were sitting in the road.
At the same time, Alabama law states that cars can go around an obstruction in traffic, so officers can’t enforce cars not doing so.
When the issue was picked up again last month, Fasking spearheaded a group of parents to meet with Police Chief Ted Cook, City Manager Sam Gaston, school administration and the school’s resource officer, which prompted the traffic study.
At the council meeting where the study was approved, Richard Caudle with Skipper said the new study will focus on trying to find lower-cost improvements and addressing pedestrian traffic safety instead of more costly long-term improvements.
“It is a bad situation, and I believe the real solutions will take asphalt and concrete,” Caudle said. “But I do believe we can do some [smaller] things, particularly to protect the pedestrians.”
Council member Amy Carter pointed out that she thinks parents will not change their driving behavior even if you add signs or other minor changes.
Council member Jack Carl suggested looking at a new drive to get more cars up on school property but doesn’t think extending the left turn lane on South Brookwood Road would be possible. Council President Virginia Smith said one solution could be rerouting through traffic or making the road one way for traffic during peak times. Caudle said Skipper had previously considered adding a circular drive for more cars to sit on.
The proposed study will address traffic congestion and potentially unsafe conditions on South Brookwood Road, particularly related to afternoon carpool traffic around the school. It will include traffic counts during morning and afternoon peak times. Speed and vehicle classification will also be considered, as well as queues, pedestrian activity, carpool flow and accident data.
The detailed operational study will cost $6,900 and take about six weeks. Upon completion, a final report will be presented to the council.
Fasking said she thinks the traffic study is great news and feels positively about the city looking into ways to fix the problem.
“I am hoping for a permanent fix,” Fasking said. “It would be nice if they added a new drive around school and for overflow parking during special events. But at least we could get some flashing signs to alert drivers before they get stuck in traffic.”
