TAMPA — Pick-up line congestion in Westchase is bad. Parents say it is so bad, some people jump the curb or make dangerous U-turns to avoid it. Others clog up neighborhood side streets and block people's driveways.
Some neighbors have started taking action themselves, by putting up no parking signs in their driveway.
The congestion is on Montague Street and Linebaugh Avenue when school gets out at Davidsen Middle and Westchase Elementary school.
"It’s a matter of time before a kid gets hit,” said Tania Baumhover, the President of Davidson Middle's PTSA.
She also sees how congested the neighborhood streets get every day because she lives down one.
"It is impossible for emergency vehicles to get through during dismissal. We have kids darting in and out of traffic,” she said.
She says many parents do risky things to avoid traffic. They even back into Kingsbridge Drive because they can’t make a right turn. She says more space for drivers to sit and wait would be good, but the Hillsborough County School District is not sure that’s something it can do.
"We do have the real estate to do that, I mean it costs money and I’m just not sure the county has the resources to do something that large,” said Baumhover.
She works with the Westchase Association. They are trying to change the timing of certain lights to allow more traffic through. The Association would like to add an officer to control traffic, but that would cost about $300 a day.
She says another option is getting more kids to walk and bike to school.
The School District believess after a week or two things will likely calm down, but officials ask parents to stop parking on the neighborhood side streets and remain in the car line for safety.
