The Port Washington School District is continuing to pay attention to the traffic issues plaguing school drop-offs and pickups and will meet with authorities soon for an update on the situation, Superintendent Michael Hynes said on Tuesday.
Hynes made the announcement during the monthly Board of Education meeting. Many residents have shared concerns over increasingly heavy traffic on Port Washington Boulevard since last September.
“I want to let the community know that we are still paying attention to what the traffic flow looks like and what some of the concerns that were raised during that community forum,” Hynes said.
He said he will soon meet with Chief of Police Robert Del Muro and other pertinent staff members to get an indication of the situation. He did not offer an exact timeframe for when this meeting will occur.
Previously, Port Washington residents assembled at the Schreiber Auditorium for a special town hall on local traffic issues last June.
School board officials have speculated that bus route alterations and COVID-19 are to blame for the increased traffic. Due to route merging, some students face up to an hour-long morning bus commute, prompting many parents to drop off their children instead.
Concerns about traffic safety emerged again in August when parents spoke out against the decision to close the Cliff Way gate entrance for South Salem Elementary School students. However, officials reversed the decision within the same month.
The next school board meeting is at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 8 in the Schreiber Auditorium.
