Board seeks answer to traffic concerns

The Alleghany County Board of Education agreed last week by consensus to authorize Superintendent Duane Davis to pursue possible solutions to afternoon traffic problems at Sparta Elementary School.

A committee which studied the problem recommended measures which included construction of new road lanes. Davis agreed to contact town, as well as possibly state officials, to discuss those possibilities. The Sparta School Traffic Committee includes Angie Marshall, SES Principal Susan Murphy, Alleghany County Sheriff's Department Officer Pete Simmons, Sparta Police Chief Frank Sanders, Davis and Mitch Franklin. Marshall said she is familiar with the situation because she has been one of the parent motorists waiting near the school. "I lined up at two o'clock," Marshall told the board during its Nov. 6 meeting. "I was 16th in line, and it was 35 minutes before school let out." Marshall, who is president of the school's Parent-Teacher Organization, also has two children in school at Sparta.

"K-3 parents wait in line; the majority line up on Trojan Avenue," she said. She said vehicles begin lining up as early as 1:35 p.m.

Franklin said he spent time observing the traffic patterns. He said he saw 38 cars lined up at about 2:30 p.m., waiting to pick up children at the primary grade (east) end of the school.

"Traffic is a nightmare; it's a zoo sometimes," said board Chairman Charles Joines.

"Based on the volume of traffic that's out there, there's a lot of possibility for accidents," said Franklin.

He and Marshall said the school was efficient in getting cars in and out once school was dismissed. "People coming early is what's causing the problems," Franklin said.

Joines remarked, "I think a lot of the parents have a race to see who can get there first."

"They want to hurry up and wait," agreed board member Gary Murphy.

"We need to address this as soon as possible," Joines said.

Murphy agreed, as did Davis, who said, "We need to work on this before somebody gets hurt."

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