Traffic issues and safety concerns at Charter Oak Elementary School took center stage at Wednesday’s Logan County Board of Commissioners meeting.
Sheriff Damon Devereaux told Commissioners that heavy traffic has become an issue at the school with families waiting to pick up their child, and he is concerned an incident could occur.
“We do have an issue in District 2 at Charter Oak and Douglas (Road),” he said. “With the school there, even almost an hour before it is time to pick kids up, a line starts to form, blocking traffic on the eastbound traffic. My concern is people trying to pass in the westbound lane. We get a lot of people stuck in that traffic lane and can’t get out of it.
“People don’t have the patience they once had. I am just afraid something bad is going to happen there if we don’t take a look at how we can accommodate school traffic, as well as those traversing through Charter Oak.”
Devereaux told Commissioners that adding a turn lane at the school would help alleviate some of the traffic congestion.
“My concern is someone could have an accident or get hurt,” he added.
District 2 Commissioner Kody Ellis said Board members already have been looking at ways to alleviate the problem.
“It is something that has been discussed already,” Ellis said. “It is something that we are going to have to get with the school superintendent about. Right-of-way acquisitions are going to be one of the biggest hurdles that we come into.
“I don’t think a single turn lane is going to be efficient. I think we are going to end up having to put in a four-lane road or go into the rightof- way of the school and put a turning lane in for the westbound traffic, and then put in a center lane for the eastbound traffic.”
Ellis said funding will be another hurdle to pay for improvements.
“That road is too small for that amount of traffic,” Ellis said.
In another matter, Commissioners approved an agreement with Coyle Public Schools for a School Resource Officer for the period of November 2022 to May 2023.