TYLER, Texas — Students at Cumberland Academy High School have been in class for only a week. During that time, the issue of excessively slow traffic continues to be a thorn in the side of parents and residents living in the area.
"It's worse in the morning," said Buddy Hill, who owns a home at the corner of Paluxy Drive and Jeff Davis Drive. "Part of the problem is that traffic comes through here because of people going to work, as well as going to school. The traffic backs up from the school all the way to the street."
On August 20, the day before school began, Principal Tim Schodowsky sent out a letter to parents. The first item of importance in that letter is the discussion of student drop-off and pick-up along Jeff Davis Drive.
"Some of the people make a u-turn around the signs," Hill said. "They ignore the signs."
In the letter, Principal Schodowsky reminded parents to not use the yards and driveways of homeowners near the school for pickup and drop-off or to make U-turns.
However, with only one designated entrance and exit for the campus, some parents say that's an unrealistic request.
Signs in the yards of some residents in the area say, "Private Property, No Trespassing. Turn Around Prohibited."
Since residents put them out, Hill says at least three have been stolen.
"It's not getting any better," Hill said. "It's getting worse."
Additionally, there is no school zone along Paluxy Drive near the school. There is also no crossing guard of police officers to help manage the flow of traffic during the school rush hour.
"Some of the people making a left turn right here will actually block the street to the traffic coming towards town on Paluxy," Hill said.
Last March, residents asked the Tyler City Council to do something about the traffic congestion. The city was determined then that there was not much the it could do regarding the matter.
Instead, the city gave the school 90 days to draft a plan for a second entrance and exit. In that meeting, the school's owner Norma Cotton told the council she has wanted an additional entrance from the start.
She said the decision is not up to the school. Since the campus is located on Paluxy Drive, which is owned by the Texas Department of Transportation, Cotton says the school would need approval from the agency before adding an entrance/exit.
"We thought they might put in another road into the school or exit to the school," Hill said. "We feel like they have enough land that they could put in another road."
Instead, a representative with TxDOT told CBS19 the agency has not received any requests from the city or the school about road projects.
TxDOT does has at least one project on its agenda for the area. There is a proposed plan to widen the two-lane road to four-lanes from Jeff Davis Drive South to FM-344.
The expansion is not guaranteed to serve as relief for parents stuck in traffic, but it could provide extra lanes for other drivers to avoid the congestion.
Pending funding, according to TxDOT's website, Phase I of the expansion project is not slated to begin until 2022.
In the meantime, Hill says he and several other residents have signed letters sent to school administrators and the city council asking that help be provided to control the traffic and ensure a safe commute for everyone. He says no response has been received from either party regarding the matter.
"We don't seem to get any help from across the street at the school," Hill said.