FORT MILL, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) -- Traffic flows in the Fort Mill School District will look different this school year. Drivers will only be able to make a right turn out of six schools in high-traffic areas.
District leaders hope the change will mitigate crashes and pedestrian accidents.
"We're obviously hopeful that this will help ease some of the traffic flow and safety issues of the left turn. We understand that that's not ideal. We also understand this is not a permanent solution," said Fort Mill SD representative Joseph Burke.
A crossing guard was hit and killed in March of 2024 while directing traffic at the entrance/exit to Fort Mill Elementary. Seven months later, another guard was hit and seriously injured. The district is weighing long-term options like working with Fort Mill and Tega Cay police to help with traffic flow.
RELATED: Fort Mill Schools change crossing guard setup: What parents need to know"We are still going to be requesting additional features of the SCDOT like lights, signage, turning notifications, all of those things, speed limits and school zones to be reduced to all of those things that we have previously requested," Burke said. "We are still able they are still able to provide crossing guards at any of the painted and properly signage crosswalks. So but what they will do, they are not going to direct traffic, but what they can do is stop traffic to allow pedestrian crossings at those crosswalks."
State law says uniformed adult crossing guards can temporarily stop traffic to help students get across the street, but it doesn't give them authority to direct or control traffic congestion on public roadways -- especially in front of schools.
"We have a lot of schools, students who do not have a safe walking path. And in South Carolina, you cannot provide bus transportation within a mile and a half unless there are no safe walking paths. So all of those areas that there is not one of those, we provide bus transportation," he said.
Burke says it's unfortunate to have to deal with this near the start of the school year, but officials are working hard to find efficient solutions while they work on a long-term one.
Parents were sent a letter notifying them of the change, reading in part:
To improve safety and efficiency at our busiest locations, the district is implementing a right-turn only rule at the car rider and student exits during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up for the following schools, effective immediately:
Catawba Ridge High School Fort Mill Elementary School Fort Mill Middle School River Trail Elementary School Riverview Elementary School Tega Cay Elementary SchoolParents attending Catawba Ridge High School's freshman orientation say they hope the change works.
"Traffic in the morning and after school is a nightmare, but it helps to know that the district is trying to do something to help," one parent told Queen City News.
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