Kamloops school district launches traffic study in wake of parent concerns

Parents at a Kamloops elementary school are worried traffic congestion at the main drop-off spot in front of the school is unsafe for students and drivers.

Westmount Elementary school's single access, Walkem Road, has heavy traffic creating"extremely dangerous"conditions forhundreds of students on their way to and from school.

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"I think we need to look at ways to improve safety," said parent Neil Duff. "We've had a number of incidents with students, a near-miss recently where a student almost got hit by a car in the Walkem area."

"The situation is extremely dangerous, especially at this time of the year because the roads are icy and slippery," said fellow parent Leanna Wereley.

"We've paid people to stand and push the crosswalk buttonto stop traffic," Duffsaid, adding that a set of lights may be the answer.

Traffic study to begin next week

The school district is aware of the issue and islaunching a traffic study mid-February.

"The volume along that road is significant," said superintendent AlisonSidow.

Duff and Wereley said overcrowding at the school is part of the problem.

"[It] leads to too many parents dropping off, too many issues on the roads," Wereley said.

With files from Daybreak Kamloops

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