Every day, Oak Grove parents dread one specific thing- carpool chaos. The speeding, the unsafe maneuvers, the long lines, and the reduced visibility make carpool traffic an absolute nightmare. We have reached out to the WCPSS district and also to the NCDOT with little to no solution. However, we believe there are extenuating conditions adjacent to the school greater than those normally present in other school zones.

The current speed limit of 35 mph combined with an increase in number of carpoolers has led to a dangerous situation during school drop-off and especially school pick-ups each day. As queing for the carpool line stacks up each day on the shoulder of Penny Rd, the sightlines on the road are completely obscured for those turning onto Penny Rd from the school lot. The sightlines are further reduced by both an elevation change along the road creating a hill, and curves in both directions. The issue is compounded by a lack of sufficient sidewalks and crosswalks connecting nearby neighborhoods, forcing many parents to carpool who otherwise would walk their kids to school. With some cars passing through at upwards of 40mph, the potential for a tragic collision is high. There have been too many near-miss collisions this year already, and we fear what will happen if no changes are made.

While the school has undertaken temporary measures to ban left-turns from the school during peak carpool times, the right turns remain dangerous and the lack of a permanent official solution to the problem remains.

We very much appreciate the efforts taken in the past to address the safety on this stretch of road, and understand that traffic and carpool line concerns are high all across Wake County, but with our extenuating conditions this stretch of road urgently needs attention, and we plead with you to work together to lower the speed limit to 25mph, as well as have a security officer on duty to ensure safety.