CAPE CORAL
Many Cape Coral parents are still contacting WINK News about people breaking the rules of the road near elementary schools without being held accountable.
Dozens of parents have spoken out about speeding in school zones and all of the damaged or displaced road signs and traffic lights. This time, she set out to answer two questions as many communities still deal with Hurricane Ian’s aftermath.
“The traffic is really intensifying every day,” said Cape Coral resident Steven Koshiol. “Week by week it gets faster and faster… it just seems a little out of control.”
READ MORE: Speeding drivers endangering children outside Cape Coral Elementary School
Koshiol lives down the street from Gulf Elementary School in Cape Coral. He walks his son to and from school daily and often sees cars speeding through the area.
“I see kids crossing and biking along there, and I have seen one car accident already due to speed… right in front of us,” Koshiol said.
To make matters worse, Koshiol is frustrated that many road signs and traffic lights around Gulf Elementary are still damaged. They’ve been that way since Hurricane Ian.
“So, I reached out to the school about it… they are kind of aware of the issue, but they really didn’t do any follow-up,” Koshiol said. “I tried following up with them, because after a couple weeks I saw really no action taken.”
To get a better idea of what was happening, WINK News joined Koshiol on his daily stroll to pick up his son at school. There were many damaged and displaced street signs, and a broken traffic light.
Koshiol raised a valid question: Are schools allowed to open without those safety markers?
READ MORE: Cape Coral Elementary crossing guard warns of missing school zone light
A Lee County representative provided WINK News with this statement: “Based on the Florida Department of Transportation standards for school zones – and the county follows FDOT standards – the flashing lights are not required for a school to open.”
“It’s kind of a lot of dead-end roads for a resolution at this point,” Koshiol said.
Another question: Are fixing lights and signs in school zones prioritized?
WINK News reached out to FDOT and Lee County to find out but did not get a conclusive answer.
However, a Cape Coral City representative provided this statement: “City crews and mutual aid crews are methodically repairing all stop signs across Cape Coral, with an emphasis on high-priority stop signs such as those around schools.”
The City of Cape Coral is responsible for 7,943 stop signs. Mutual aid, contractors and city crews have visited or repaired 4,182 stop signs since Ian. Stop signs that remain to be visited and/or repaired or replaced are 3,761.
Although this is a step in the right direction for concerned Cape Coral parents, it could take months before the remaining signs are taken care of. Plus, there are still thousands of other types of traffic signs and lights that need maintenance.
In the meantime, Koshiol hopes school leaders take responsibility and find other lasting solutions to keep kids safe.
WINK NEWS