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Business owner and residents press Punxsutawney Area SD to address Byer Avenue drop‑off congestion
Summary
A local business owner and nearby residents told the board that morning and afternoon school traffic on Byer Avenue blocks driveways, impedes customers and could delay emergency vehicles; the board and administration discussed SRO authority, police enforcement, bus routing and possible staging changes and asked administration to continue investigating solutions.
Robert Pascuzzo, a local property and business owner, told the board traffic during school drop‑off and pick‑up routinely lines up from the elementary entrance back past the bar line and down toward Jenks Avenue, blocking driveways and preventing deliveries. "If emergency vehicles would need to get up there, we probably could not get through," Pascuzzo said, and he urged the district to use school property to stage traffic for safer and more efficient drop‑off and pick‑up.
Board members and administrators discussed whether School Resource Officers (SROs) may assist with traffic control under the current SRO agreement and noted the borough police chief had recommended routing parent traffic off campus for safety reasons earlier this term. Administrators said they followed police guidance and implemented parent staging maps and communications; the district also observed variations day to day and said it uses a grade‑level staging approach and progress monitoring to keep car lines moving.
Board members raised enforcement and parental compliance as separate problems. Some said parents arrive 20–30 minutes early and block the road; borough enforcement has begun limited ticketing, although resources to staff Byer Avenue daily were described as limited. Board member Chad and administration said they will keep communication channels open and continue to explore options including bus routing and additional reminders to parents; the board encouraged administration to coordinate with the borough police and transportation providers about feasible operational changes.
No formal policy or contract change was approved at the meeting. The board asked administrators to continue investigating options and report back to the board; a staff study or follow-up recommendation was indicated as the next step.
