Neighbors near Harris County roadway concerned about sidewalk safety for kids

Harris County Pct. 4 resident expresses traffic concerns for students

A resident along Barker-Cypress Road says new apartment complexes have increased traffic, bringing safety concerns regarding kids traveling to and from school. FOX 26's Leslie DelasBour spoke to the concerned resident and reached out to Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones.

HARRIS CO, TX - Residents in a part of Harris County Precinct 4 are expressing concerns about kids traveling to and from school.

Harris County Precinct 4: School traffic concerns

What they're saying:

Roger Rangel, a concerned neighbor, says the newer apartments along the 2900 block of Barker Cypress Road have not only increased traffic in the area, but they've made the roadways dangerous. 

"One of the things that I notice right of the bat is there is no signage about the school bus picking up the kids whatsoever. If you’re coming from the south, no signs to slow down. If you’re coming from the north, no signage to slow down," said Rangel. 

Rangel said because of the high traffic in this area, neighbors are mainly concerned about children. He adds that every day, kids get picked up and dropped off at the Grand Palms Apartment Homes, but along Barker Cypress, there are no sidewalks, traffic signals, or school zone signs. 

"If you notice the indention and the damage that’s done on this curb, you've got cars trying to make a right turn because there are no lights, there's no merging lane to begin with. And then you’ve got the kids. They'll will stand right here waiting for the bus," said Rangel, "You’ve got kids coming from this apartment complex and this one here, and they will go across, but sometimes they will run across the street as well. This is a divided highway and when the bus stops with the flashing lights, they are not going to stop on that side, and you’ve got kids running and darting through here, and you’ve got traffic coming from that way to turn."

Rangel says another issue that concerns him is there are no sidewalks on Groschke Road, which is not only adjacent to Barker Cypress, but runs right into two schools. 

"Mayde Creek High School and Mayde Creek Junior High school are right behind here," said Rangel. "The biggest issue is that kids walk along here, and sometimes they bike ride, but if you’re here between 6 and 8:30 in the morning, the traffic is backed up, and the kids are on the bicycles barely making it." 

Statement from Comm'r Briones

What's next:

We reached out to Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones' office for comment, and she tells us in part : 

"Public safety is my top priority, and we are taking action. My office has asked the Harris County Office of the County Engineer to conduct a traffic study at the entrance to the Grand Palms apartment complex, and we have connected with Katy ISD’s transportation team to address immediate needs.
Plus, as part of our Sidewalks 4 Precinct 4 program, through which we have already completed over 50 miles of sidewalks and will soon be building more, we are evaluating the feasibility of building a sidewalk in this area. Due to the roadside ditch and federal land ownership, this issue will take time to resolve, yet we are committed to pursuing solutions.
I encourage residents to continue sharing sidewalk concerns with us at cp4.harriscountytx.gov/sidewalks. We are committed to making our neighborhoods safer for our children and families."