A MAJOR US city is bracing itself for traffic to worsen as over 70,000 students return to school.
Chaotic scenes with parents picking up and dropping off their children will see an increase in congestion – with desperate calls for an improvement in infrastructure.
Drivers across Autsin, Texas, are getting ready for the back-to-school rush with 70,000 students set to return to class[/caption]
Mornings are set to be chaotic and comes amid desperate calls for an improvement in infrastructure to handle the increase in traffic[/caption]
Drivers have been accused of risky behaviors including U-turns and stops that block roads[/caption]
The city has employed crossing guards and is working to expand safe routes to school[/caption]
According to KUT News, the city of Austin, Texas, is getting ready for the school year to begin, as statistics show the Austin Independent School District (AISD) serves over 70,000 students with staggered start times across 116 campuses.
This also includes 5,000 teachers and almost 4,000 support staff like custodians, bus drivers, cooks and teaching assistants.
But despite staggered schedules, morning traffic will increase significantly, especially around 8:30 am.
Ahmed Darrat, the chief product office of transportation data and analytics company INRIX, said: “Obviously, roads that are much closer to schools are going to have more congestion than arterial roads that aren’t really anywhere near a school pickup or drop off point.”
The first few days of school are notoriously chaotic as parents and students navigate new routines.
Another issue is a reduction in walking and biking to school, which is due to suburban sprawl and safety concerns.
This, in turn, contributes to heavier car traffic.
“All of that plays into the decisions we make and our travel patterns,” said Carol Lewis, a former professor of transportation studies at Texas Southern University.
“The way our cities are designed, the way we live.”
But increased traffic and risky driving behaviors, such as sudden U-turns or mid-block drop-offs, elevates the risk of accidents around school zones.
In 2024, over 1,100 crashes occurred in Texas school zones, which included two fatalities.
“I drop off my kid in the morning, so on the first day of school, I see that people act weird,” said Subasish Das, an assistant professor of civil engineering at Texas State University.
“Some of the parents, they do a violation like a sudden U-turn. Maybe they stop in the mid-block and drop off their kid.”
“These are risky behaviors, but to save time, some of the parents do it,” he said.
Austin has invested $47.5 million in bonds to improve walking and biking infrastructure near schools, including sidewalks, crosswalks and signals.
Furthermore, the city employs crossing guards and is working to expand its “Safe Routes to School” program, though many routes remain incomplete.
“Every child deserves a safe, reliable way to get to and from school,” said Council Member Paige Ellis.
“When our streets are safe for kids, they’re safe for everyone.”
The Austin City Council has since directed staff to update the Safe Routes to School plan and report back by September 18.
Their goal is to ensure every child has a safe and reliable way to travel to school, which benefits the entire community.
Laws on Passing a School Bus
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA), it’s illegal in all 50 states to pass a school bus when it is stopped, the red strobe lights are flashing, and the stop sign is deployed.
“All States require the traffic in both directions to stop on undivided highways when students are getting on or off a school bus,” the agency’s website reads.
Florida launched a program in May 2024 that will cite drivers illegally passing stopped school buses with the help of AI-powered cameras to capture footage of violators, citing an important law.
In Florida, Chapter 316 Title 19 reads:
- Any person using, operating, or driving a vehicle on or over the roads or highways of this state shall, upon approaching any school bus which displays a stop signal, bring such vehicle to a full stop while the bus is stopped, and the vehicle shall not pass the school bus until the signal has been withdrawn. A person who violates this section commits a moving violation, punishable as provided in chapter 318.
- Any person using, operating, or driving a vehicle that passes a school bus on the side that children enter and exit when the school bus displays a stop signal commits a moving violation, punishable as provided in Chapter 318, and is subject to a mandatory hearing under the provisions of s. 318.19
Source: NHSTA, Florida Legislature
