Residents in a Houston neighborhood say traffic from a nearby schools has clogged their street and damaged driveways, ignoring “no parking” rules.
HOUSTON — Residents in a southeast Houston neighborhood tell KHOU 11 that traffic from a nearby school has caused gridlock on their street for years.
Homeowners along Cortelyou Lane like James Wyche have experienced the problem firsthand. He explained that every morning and afternoon, cars crowd the street as parents pick up and drop off students at KIPP Peace Elementary, located across the street on Martin Luther King Boulevard.
“Same thing happens every year,” Wyche said. “They’re pulling in, backing right on up.”
Surveillance video from Wyche’s home shows vehicles turning around in driveways and parking in a no-parking zone. Wyche said the congestion often makes it impossible for people who live on the street to get through.
“When you got parents walking on both sides of the street, cars cannot get through to go east or west,” he said. “We can’t come in and we can’t go out.”
Wyche said cars have damaged his property, including a mailbox that was destroyed twice. He also described verbal confrontations with drivers.
“You know, we get cussed at, we get yelled at,” Wyche said. “They look at us like we’re crazy.”
Wyche said he has reported the problem to 311, law enforcement, and city and school officials, but the issue is never fixed for good. While his great-grandson attends the school, Wyche said he has no problem with the campus itself — only with parents ignoring the rules.
Now, after 30 years in his home, Wyche said he’s preparing to sell, partly to escape the ongoing parking headaches.
“For the next person who moves in, this is what they’re going to face,” he said.
City response
In a statement, ParkHouston acknowledged the challenges, stating that traffic issues are common at the start of a new school year –- despite the issue persisting for years.
Officials said they had temporarily relaxed enforcement of no-parking zones to give families time to adjust to drop-off and pick-up routines.
“ParkHouston and HPD have the authority to write citations for vehicles parked in areas with No Parking signage,” the statement read. “Schools typically need a few days to communicate procedures to parents. During this initial transition, ParkHouston temporarily relaxes enforcement of No Parking signage to allow traffic patterns to settle. However, we continue to enforce safety violations without exception—such as vehicles blocking driveways or parked too close to fire hydrants.”
Officials added they plan to work with KIPP Peace Elementary to review the school’s routing plan and will continue patrols in the area, though daily enforcement is not possible.
School response
KIPP officials told KHOU 11 they assessed pick-up and drop-off plans each year and acknowledged longer wait times at the start of the school year as families adjust.
“Since new students and families are learning the procedures, we experience longer pick-up and drop-off times as everyone gets acclimated,” the school said in a statement. “During the first week of school, we assess procedures and make changes to minimize disruption to traffic. You should see a significant decrease in lines and wait times over the next week or so. We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding.”
Residents dealing with similar parking or traffic issues in their neighborhoods can report them by calling 311.
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