Johnson Elementary Principal Huffman Says School is Dealing with New Traffic Issues during Pandemic
By Jeff Toquinto on November 25, 2020
While traffic along Johnson Avenue during school hours is not nearly as much an issue due to remote learning several days a week due to COVID-19, another issue has creeped up involving traffic that could be a result of the pandemic.
Johnson Elementary School Principal Vicki Huffman said the issue involves her school. And it involves an issue that was addressed to parents and other motorists prior to the start of the 2019 school year..jpg)
“A lot of people are coming off of Johnson Avenue into the school in the exit area from our parking lot,” said Huffman. “It does tend to happen a lot more in the evening, after school hours, with people coming to practice or sporting events, but they still need to enter the school the correct way by Bridgeport High School.”
Huffman said no one has been hurt as the result. However, she said if motorists do not follow the rules an accident could take place between two vehicles.
“We’ve had a few really close calls,” said Huffman.
Although using the exit to get easier entry access to the school or to Wayne Jamison Field is no tallowed at any time, Huffman said there appears to be at least one reason she’s aware of for it happening during school hours.
“We have a lot of people not familiar with the area. We have people dropping off and picking up kids who normally do not do that,” said Huffman. “It may be a grandparent, a neighbor or someone else that is filling in because of (the pandemic), but we know that has happened.”
Huffman said she has been working with Bridgeport Prevention Resource Officer (PRO) Jamie Hamrick about the situation. They are working to inform motorists the entry and exit rules are in place all day, every day and to help new motorists coming to Johnson Elementary.
A map showing the proper procedure is shown below.
Editor's Note: Along with the map below, the top photo shows the JES parking lot in the background during its paving in 2019. The main exit in question is the exit to the main parking lot behind Vicki Huffman, left, and Jamie Harmick that is the concern. In the map below, the box that says "Yield for buses," is the area where vehicles are entering. Both lanes there, as the map shows, are exit lanes.
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