guest blogger: Michael Brown

Imagine, in an effort to reduce spending, Montgomery County Public Schools has decided to reduce the number of students they will bus to school. As a consequence, more children will be forced to walk to school or more parents will be forced to drive them.

This is the reality of parents in Clayton County, Georgia, a suburban community south of downtown Atlanta. Just days before the new school year started, the school system announced that itwill no longer provide bus transportation to 4,600 students living within a mile and half of their schools.

After hearing this news my first thought was TRAFFIC!   As a reviewer of mandatory referral applications for school projects in Montgomery County, I hear from property owners near schools who fear additional traffic associated with school additions and renovation projects.  They remark how parents double park, block access to driveways, and congest the roadway during morning and afternoon rush hours.  With the potential for more parents driving their children to school, access and congestion would only get worse.

My second thought was the safety of those children walking. The Planning Department works closely with MCPS project managers to ensure safe pedestrian routes to building entrances. However, in some cases, a complete pedestrian system–sidewalks and trails–is not present throughout the neighborhood. Some As a result, there have been cases where the sidewalk abruptly stops at the schools’ property line.

The safety of children walking is even more of a concern when schools are located on major thoroughfares. Sidewalks may be present, but what adult (not to mention child) feels comfortable walking next to rush hour traffic?

“Bobby” and his friend are mannequins the size of a 10-year-old child used by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation to illustrate the hazards of crossing the street in heavy traffic.

We are fortunate in Montgomery County to have initiated programs (click to see how Bobby gets across the street) and studies to create safe walking environments that provide a viable alternative to driving. But I wonder are we doing enough? Are we making changes fast enough to address those traffic and safety concerns surrounding our schools in Montgomery County? Even if Clayton County found money to bus those 4,600 students, is that a sustainable solution?