LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Months after that bus transportation mess in the fall, JCPS officials confirm car ridership is up about 5% districtwide compared to last school year.
But that increase appears to be making some existing problems worse, like the standstill traffic jutting out onto a part of Brownsboro Road every weekday afternoon.
Metro Councilman Scott Reed (R-16) told WHAS11 constituents are calling it a safety hazard, demanding a fix.
"We can facilitate conversations, we can get parents involved, we can get the LMPD involved, but ultimately this is a JCPS issue and they need to solve the problem," Reed said Friday.
WHAS11 captured the line extending outside Norton Elementary School Friday afternoon. Norton lets out at 4:20 p.m., but parents often start gathering around an hour before -- at times blocking the well-traveled public road until just before 5 p.m.
Businesses nearby, like Barbour Lane Animal Hospital, said the increase in parent pickups have intensified issues for their customers during a time when they'd otherwise be busy.
"Generally, we book all afternoon -- we're booked solid. But now, that little block of time just about every day is blank," Melisa Kossack, the hospital manager, said.
Kossack said their biggest fear is a family pet needing emergency care and not being able to get to the vet in time because of the traffic jam. She and nearly 170 other community members have signed a petition, asking both city and JCPS leaders to find a solution.
Meanwhile, JCPS officials said they're aware of the issues at Norton Elementary School.
In a statement, a district spokesperson said: "We understand that the number of vehicles and the time they arrive for pick up can have an impact along with many other factors such as the width of the road, road construction and police presence. Ultimately, any traffic issues on public roads are the responsibility of the public entities that maintain those roads."
Councilman Reed's Office has proposed some alternative solutions like creating double carpool lanes on the backside of Norton Elementary's campus. But JCPS said that's not doable because that space is needed for school bus access required by Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) guidelines.
Another idea pitched was using the nearby Springdale Presbyterian Church parking lot to hold additional cars.
However, JCPS said they've had discussions on this, but that also doesn't work right now "because of the traffic backup on 22 due to construction."
Reed fears the issue will get even worse if nothing is done before next school year, where JCPS could cut even more bus routes because of the driver shortage.
JCPS confirmed that they're looking into expanding parking lots and traffic flow on school properties where there's enough land to work with. But the district said any changes must be within KDE guidelines and cannot impact the playgrounds and green space for students.
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