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Neighbors raise safety and traffic concerns over proposed bus routing to new middle school
Summary
Multiple Noyes and Cypress Street residents spoke during public comment, objecting to proposed bus routing through neighborhood streets, citing pedestrian and bicycle safety, lack of sidewalks and potential loss of on‑street parking; board said traffic engineer will present at the building committee meeting and encouraged attendance.
Residents from the Noyes/Cypress/South Street area delivered extended public comment objecting to proposed bus routes and sidewalk placement tied to the new middle‑school project.
“My name is Laura Foote. I live at 44 Noyes Street… I’m not a fan of that plan,” Foote said, objecting to buses, sidewalk construction that could remove on‑street parking and a bus loop that would run down neighborhood streets. She asked why the district could not route buses through the new middle school property or otherwise avoid residential streets.
Several other residents echoed safety concerns: Rosemary Little highlighted multiple walking and biking routes used by children and older residents and said mixing bus traffic with those pedestrian flows at a four‑way stop presents safety risks. Mike Silverstein said the South Street approach is “a dangerous spot to get onto South Street” and urged reconsideration, including off‑site or alternative staging to avoid neighborhood disruption.
Board members acknowledged the public concerns and said the building committee will hear the traffic engineer this week and invited residents to attend that session and the special board meeting next week. The chair said resident maps and suggestions had been passed to the traffic engineer, and the district’s volunteer traffic‑engineer parent will also consult on routing options.
No policy or route vote was taken at the meeting; board members said they will continue to evaluate traffic engineering input and neighborhood proposals as the design and value‑engineering process proceeds.
