SAN ANTONIO – Frank Madla Elementary School parents and neighborhood residents are frustrated with drivers who break traffic laws in school zones.
City officials are now enforcing citations on those who obstruct traffic and parking in the area.
Parents said people who do not even have children at the school are the ones breaking the law.
“I'm scared they are going to hit one of my kids or other kids,” one parent said.
District 4 Councilman Rey Saldana said the city has addressed several complaints such as speeding and parking violations in the area. He said crews have installed sidewalks, speed signs, and speed bumps and have even stationed law enforcement officers in the area, but drivers are just not respecting basic traffic rules.
Residents said people are not abiding by the "no parking" signs south of Windyhill Drive, causing residents to be blocked inside their driveways.
“If I have to take my fiancé to the doctor, I can't get out because some people are blocking the driveway. And it is not five or 15 minutes, it is 30 minutes,” one resident said.
Saldana said authorities are now cracking down on the traffic citations for the safety of children.
“If we can get coordination flowing and people much happier and they are not obstructing driveways, we would love for that to happen on its own, but we know sometimes folks wearing a badge have to make sure people are doing the right thing,” Saldana said.
Saldana said the school will soon release a letter reminding parents of the traffic rules in place, warning them to follow them or be reprimanded.
The letter includes the following rules:
One-Way
- Windyhill Drive between Royalgate and Amberwood becomes a one-way street between 7-9 a.m. and 2-4 p.m.
School Zone and Crosswalk
-
Legal speed limit on Royalgate is 20 mph during school days
-
Motor vehicles must yield to pedestrians at a crosswalk.
No Parking Signs
- When picking your student up, do not park on the south side of Windyhill Drive. When you disregard the traffic signs, it puts children, residents and pedestrians at risk.
Saldana encourages anyone who sees someone violating these traffic laws to call his office at 210-207-5785, and he will be sure to contact the right authorities to fix the problem.