Board signs off on traffic-safety study submissions so DOT can estimate costs for high school and Oakwood

The board approved staff’s request to forward traffic-safety studies to the North Carolina Department of Transportation so the agency can prepare construction cost estimates and identify potential funding sources. Dr. M, the district’s transportation lead, said board approval is a procedural step required for DOT to move the studies into the construction-division review.

The study that the board approved includes a proposed reconfiguration of the high-school driveway, creation of a student sidewalk, and a new front-lot loop to create two lanes for drop-off and pick-up. Staff said similar study work is underway for Oakwood and North Elementary and that additional site visits were scheduled to capture normal-day operations for accurate analysis.

Board members raised concerns about vehicles blocking driveways, local motorists forcing entry into school lots, and whether physical traffic control (staff or temporary signage/cones) could be used to manage flow during peak times; staff noted DOT can provide parking and traffic-management recommendations as part of its review. On a motion the board approved submitting the package for DOT cost-estimating and funding review.