El Paso, Texas (KTSM) — Far East El Paso residents who live next to Montwood High School say they have had problems with traffic in their neighborhood for years.
Residents say parents park in front of their homes — despite no parking signs — waiting to pick up their kids and students also wait in the neighborhood for their parents.
“They’ll sit on the curbs and when they get out of school, waiting for the parents. Why are the parents picking them up here? There are a lot of parents that don’t want to be waiting bumper to bumper, going through the courtyards of the school,” said Ricardo Bayona, who lives near Montwood High.
Bayona says meetings have been held in the past with the city and residents but says residents have been trying to get something done since 2018.
“We have sat. We have talked with them. But to this point, nothing really gets done. There’s red tape somewhere,” Bayona said.
City Rep. Art Fierro, who represents the area, says meetings have been held in the past but no final solutions have been agreed to.
“There’s an MOU (memorandum of understanding) that was just signed today with the city of El Paso and the school districts that allow these school districts’ police officers to give citations for various things. So, that should be able to help,” Fierro said.
Fierro says another meeting will be held and a letter will be sent out to residents to poll them on what they want to see happen in the area.
A spokesperson for the Socorro Independent School District sent KTSM the following statement regarding the traffic around Montwood.
“Traffic around all schools during drop-off and pick-up times is naturally heavier. Parents and students at all campuses are asked to follow all traffic laws and signage and respect the communities surrounding our schools. Regarding Montwood High School, the district is aware of the concerns and has been working with the residents and City to address the concerns through parent/student education and traffic enforcement.”
