We Need Increased Student Traffic Safety Around Willow Wood Elementary

We are asking parents and community members to support immediate safety improvements around Willow Wood Elementary, located at 5780 Parkdale Drive, McKinney, Texas 75071.

Although Willow Wood Elementary is part of the Melissa Independent School District, the school and surrounding neighborhood are located within the city of McKinney. This jurisdictional gap has become increasingly concerning as more students walk and ride bikes to and from school.

Please sign this petition to request that the City of McKinney, McKinney Police Department, and appropriate traffic and transportation officials take action to improve safety for students, families, residents, and drivers.

Why This Matters

Students walking and biking along Parkdale Drive face speeding vehicles, unpredictable driving, limited visibility, and heavy congestion during school arrival and dismissal.

The intersection of Parkdale Drive and Alexander Drive is especially hazardous, as it is the closest intersection to the school on the same side of Parkdale.

Vehicles frequently park on both sides of Alexander Drive between Parkdale and Girard Street, severely limiting visibility for children, bicyclists, drivers, school buses, and residents entering or leaving the subdivision.

Residents have observed:

• Frequent near-misses between drivers and students/families in and around the intersection.
• Vehicles parked too close to stop signs and intersections at Parkdale/Alexander Drive and Alexander/Girard Street, obstructing school buses and traffic. Texas Transportation Code 545.302
• Dangerous U-turns during school arrival and dismissal.
• Limited visibility caused by vehicles parked bumper to bumper along both sides of Alexander Drive.
• Increasing numbers of students walking and bicycling along Parkdale Drive.
• Golf carts driving on the sidewalk and parking in the field between the school and Alexander while students are walking home. McKinney PD Golf Cart Requirements 

These conditions prevent children from seeing approaching vehicles and prevent drivers from seeing children.

What We Are Asking For

By signing this petition, we ask the City of McKinney and McKinney Police Department to:

• Add police traffic enforcement at the Parkdale Drive and Alexander Drive neighborhood entrance during school arrival and dismissal to prevent and enforce obstructive parking and unsafe driving.
• Conduct an on-site traffic and pedestrian-safety assessment during current school arrival and dismissal periods. (Melissa ISD bell schedule has recently changed and differs from McKinney ISD.) 
• Address golf-cart access on the field and sidewalk areas used by students walking home.
• Coordinate with Melissa ISD Police and school transportation officials to develop a comprehensive student-safety plan.
• Provide a response to the community describing the steps that will be taken to improve traffic safety in this area.

Melissa ISD Police has acknowledged these concerns and continues to support student safety within its jurisdiction through Melissa ISD crosswalk monitoring and safety education. However, the McKinney Police Department has been identified as the appropriate agency to address traffic and parking concerns on surrounding McKinney streets.

A visible police presence, effective parking enforcement, protected sight lines, and coordinated planning would significantly improve safety for students, families, residents, and drivers.

Our Goal

Our goal is simple: prevent a tragedy before it happens. We should not wait for a child to be seriously injured or worse before addressing these predictable hazards.

Please sign this petition to show your support for immediate action to improve student traffic safety around Willow Wood Elementary. 

By signing, I support the requested safety improvements and ask the City of McKinney and McKinney Police Department to investigate these community safety concerns and work with Melissa ISD to protect students walking and biking to and from school.