School traffic has Wake Forest fuming

Thursday, August 27, 2009

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Rebecca Hall
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WAKE FOREST (WTVD) -- Since school started Tuesday, commuters have dreaded the area around Forestville and Rogers Roads - home to Heritage Elementary, Middle and High School.

"It's just a parking lot," offered driver Dorothy Ledford. ”We're all trying to get through the same place at the same time."

"I was driving yesterday. It took me 20 minutes. It would normally take me about a minute just because the traffic's so bad," said student Kevin Liss.

The problem is everyone is trying to get to the same three schools at the same time, and all are located within a mile of each other. Some blame the school district for poor planning.

"We need more lanes of traffic. Staggering the school times is a definite answer," said Ledford.

Wake Forest traffic officers are trying to do what they can. They were out Thursday morning directing drivers themselves, but it was no fix for frustrations.

"Some of what I've been called in the last 48 hours has been very reminiscent of what I experienced in the Marine Corps," said LT. Tom Wallace.

Wake County school leaders attribute the congestion to the first week of school. Congestion has been worsened by the fact Wake Forest/Rolesville High School students are using the new Heritage High School temporarily.

Next year, all those additional upper-classman drivers won't be in the Heritage mix.

"We're going to be opening up Heritage High School with a much smaller population that won't be driving," Michael Evans with Wake County Schools explained. "And the traffic flows will be significantly different."

The DOT, school leaders, and town officials plan to analyze the traffic problems.

Law enforcement has other concerns. There are no school zone signs or markings around the new Heritage High School which is in full operation.

There are no sidewalks near the school and the speed limit is 45 mph. Drivers don’t have to slow down or be cautious around the school because it’s not marked.

Evans says that's a DOT issue. It's in charge of getting those signs up, and they’re late.