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Board presses county and staff for fixes to High School Road congestion and student parking
Summary
Trustees debated short‑ and medium‑term measures to ease afternoon congestion at Jackson Hole High School — from variable release times to a pedestrian signal — and accepted a county offer to present traffic modeling this fall; trustees asked staff to draft a joint letter to the town about a pedestrian crossing.
Trustee Mead reopened a multi‑year concern about congestion and safety on High School Road at the Aug. 13 board meeting, asking district leaders to pursue concrete measures to reduce end‑of‑day traffic and unsafe crossings.
Principal Bennett and transportation staff reviewed steps already taken — adjusted bus routes and staggered end times — and said the more acute problem is egress at dismissal. "Getting out of the lot is a big problem," Principal Bennett said, noting the district has opened new student parking on the west side and issued roughly 325 permits last year. Trustees and staff agreed that while parking supply has increased, egress and intersection movements at peak dismissal remain the primary safety hazard.
Charlotte Reynolds said the county has collected traffic counts and modeling and offered its travel‑demand management coordinator to meet with district staff; the county could present findings this fall. Trustees suggested immediate, low‑cost actions: negotiating a pedestrian crossing or signal with the town, temporary staff to control bus egress, variable release times, and targeted enforcement near bus movements to keep buses moving. "Maybe sending a letter from the board or superintendent offering to contribute funding carries more weight," one trustee suggested.
Board members also discussed incentives to increase bus ridership (a district 'Ride the Wave' program), additional parent communication about alternatives to driving, and enforcement or permit‑verification changes to discourage unauthorized student driving. The board directed staff to pursue county coordination and prepare a draft letter to the town about pedestrian infrastructure and short‑term mitigations.
What’s next: county traffic staff to be invited to present modeling this fall; staff to draft a letter to the town and return with options for short‑term operational changes and communication strategies.
