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Town and county present traffic fixes for High School Road; board backs low‑cost pilots
Summary
Town and county transportation staff showed modeling that pinpoints morning peak congestion and proposed low‑cost trials — jersey barriers, crossing guards and a HAWK crosswalk — plus longer‑term changes such as a one‑way loop and a new connector to South Park Loop Road to ease queuing and improve safety.
Town and county transportation staff told the Teton County School Board on Oct. 8 that a combination of demand‑management and small infrastructure changes could reduce dangerous congestion during the 20 minutes before middle‑ and high‑school bell times.
"We looked at dozens of alternatives," Charlotte Frey, transportation manager for the Town and County of Jackson, said in a presentation to the board. Her team’s modeling found the corridor operates acceptably for most of the hour but drops to a failing level of service in the 20 minutes immediately before school starts. Short‑term measures that showed promise included installing a HAWK (high‑intensity activated crosswalk), converting the high‑school loop to a counterclockwise one‑way flow, and deploying jersey barriers and crossing guards to test traffic patterns before committing to capital work.
Frey said the high‑school option — making the loop road one way and using a HAWK signal at the east entrance — could be implemented with relatively little permanent infrastructure: "You could put up jersey barriers and signage to create this one way movement, and then you would just need to install a HAWK signal," she said. The modeling suggests the package of changes would reduce queueing at the most troubled intersections from failing grades to a C or better in short‑term forecasts.
Board members pressed on feasibility, cost and jurisdiction. Trustee Gingrich and others asked whether the town would permit a HAWK signal on road segments the town controls; Tyler Sinclair, town manager, and Frey said they would work with the district. Trustees also asked whether the afternoon peak had been modeled; Frey replied that the AM peak was slightly worse but that solutions would likely be similar in both periods.
Officials recommended piloting low‑cost options first. "You could get immediate data on how well it works," Frey said about using temporary barriers, signage and crossing guards to test the one‑way loop and timing changes before installing permanent signals or building roads. The district has already cut east‑side student parking at the high school and will deploy three crossing guards to direct dismissal traffic while longer‑term options are studied.
Next steps: staff will coordinate with school principals and town staff to pilot the low‑cost changes and report back to the board on observed effects and recommended permanent measures.
