Instead of beating a dead horse why don't you stop being so negative and try being a little positive for a change. Being military, my kids have gone to a few different school systems and the lines are really no different. Maybe you can help the community by driving one of the buses intead of complaining all the time.

It's not the school lines themselves that are the issue, you are right they are the same everywhere. What makes things difficult in Richmond Hill is parents from RH Primary and Carver all trying to get to school on a single-lane road, then make it to either the middle or high school in time. Plus, this year they are moving the Pre-K to the portables at RH Primary, which adds an additional several hundred students in already congested conditions. For a single, working parent, it makes it quite difficult to drop off at multiple schools, and still make it to work on time. The school bus is a great option, however, our bus stop is on Highway 144 at a traffic light, which in my opinion is not a very safe location, which makes it a non-option for our family. Allen Cox & the Bryan county school board need to visit neighboring counties and explore alternative ideas for buses and school starting times. What has "always worked" may be in need of a facelift due to changing times. It may solve multiple issues with minimal effort.

I agree with you 100% that a staggered start/end time would help tremendously especially if parents would utilize the busses more. The only caveat I see in this would be parents who still elect to drive their children to multiple schools.They may have to wait longer in lines becaues of the start times. There's alot of work going on around the schools which I hope will ease the traffic woes some. I'd at least give it little while to see if it works before complaining. Thanks for your post. At least you suggested postive solutions along with your concerns instead of just _ithcing and complaining like others do. As far as the new elementary school goes, it's built. Get over it. So much negativity doesn't do the community any good.

Oh, and by the way....I don't remember commenting on the new school. By the time it opens, my family will only have 1 year at Carver and I can deal with anything for a year.

The new elementary school was needed. I do agree that staggering start times would help with congestion. For us, the morning bus is an impossibility, but we'd like to try the afternoon bus again just to save gas. Although, if it takes an hour to get my son home like it did last year, I'll end up doing car pool again. A couple of days it took 90 mins for him to get home!

What would be nice is have a couple of main stops that parents could drop their kids at to catch the bus so there wouldn't be so many stops in the morning and afternoon. And not to pick on those that live in Mainstreet, but they should walk or take the bus more. They're right next to the shools yet I see many people from there in the car pool line.

I also think that parents need to get together more and actually car pool their kids. I would be more than willing to pick up two extra children and bring them home rather than continue to have single drivers (myself included) pick up my one child. How about parents that have children in different schools take turns picking up one group at each one, then meeting in a central location to exchange kids before heading home?

Truly, though, who's idea was it to put all these different schools in one location without thinking about traffic?

Didn't realize commenting on an issue was complaining. Being military, you will probably be out of here in a few years. Many of us, on the other hand, have chosen to make RH a permanent place to raise our children. In order to improve what are already great schools, it takes input from everyone...those who agree and those who don't.

I'm sorry momof2, your comments were great. The comments for the new school were meant for the post originator. I guess the difference in a comment and complaint is in the tone of the post. I took it as complaining.

I agree the complaining needs to stop, but recommending change does not, if the change is warranted and wanted by the majority. Not saying anything negative about the past, I am looking forward to the new school board filling their promises of talking to the parents and finding workable solutions that everyone can agree on.

Let' grow up and quit complaining about every little thing we don't like. If you have not noticed, they are doing major work around the new school, Carver and the Primary school in order to alleviate the traffic situation. I have pulled down Francis Meeks Way many times between 7:30 and 7:50. It has never taken me more than 15 minutes to be in and out. Let's get real. Are we honestly that spoiled a society that we can't be patient for 15 minutes. If you choose for your child to be a car rider, then that is the price you pay. Many of you argue that you don't bus your children for safety reasons......then I would say 15 minutes is a small price to pay to ensure your child's safety.

Why don't you take your traffic concerns directly to the DOT. Discuss with them the removal of the median on Highway 144 from railroad track to railroad track and at the same time ask why 144 hasn't been widened. I think it is time to go to horses mouth. Try calling the DOT in Atlanta for answers. We don't need beautification, we need transportation in and out.

RHillDawgFan -- Actually, 15 minutes would be a fine wait time in the mornings. I guess you've got it timed better than the rest of us. :)

Seriously, though, I know I've gotten in line to drop my son off at RHES in the morning at 7:40 and we've sat there for almost 30 minutes at times. He was tardy 15 times in the last term because 1) he's a slow walker to his class waaaaay in the back at a portable, and 2) between letting the buses and Mainstreeters into line, we would have to wait up to 30 minutes on some mornings (longer if it rained). The afternoon pick up was much better once they made everyone get in one line.

I do know they know it's an issue, and I know they're working on it. As far as calling the DOT, pardon me while I die laughing. :)

(Let me share a story about the DOT. We lived in Alpharetta, which for those that don't know is a Northern suburb of Atlanta. The only way to get up that way is to go up 400. For some odd reason, the DOT decided to paint a gore on the exit from 85 to 400 to block off a lane. There wasn't a reason for it as it was a new lane onto 400 from 85, posed no danger, and kept traffic going. Before the gore, it was an exit only lane. Now, when those living in Forsyth county, Alpharetta, and Roswell complained and the local news picked up the story, the DOT eventually changed it back to an exit only lane. BUT they then decided the trees that lined both sides of 400 now needed to be 32 feet from the road instead of 16 feet. So they tore down 16 feet of trees from Alpharetta to Roswell, and not only killed trees but exposed houses and apartments to the loveliness that is 400. The DOT claimed they did it for safety, but we know the real reason: punishment for complaining.)

If you know the wait will be that long, why don't you leave earlier?

OH MY! HERE WE GO AGAIN! I absolutely must address scarfyrre re her comment on 7-22 that the "mainstreeters" should walk or take the bus. I have lived in MS since 2003 and the buses don't run through the neighborhood be-cuz we live too close. It takes 30 minutes to walk from my home to the primary school (we tried it)and with a 5 year old, well NO WAY. Also how would you know so many people from MS are in the car pool line? Are YOU in fact cutting through MY NEIGHBORHOOD making the traffic worse? I do hope you are not one of the ones that ignore all the stop signs in MS!
And your comment on 7-24, there you go about the "mainstreeters" again. Maybe you should stop whinning about the time you're spending in the car with your child and perhaps use it as quality parent/child time going over spelling words, discussing the lunch menu, how proud you are of them, something exciting coming up etc etc. We have our childrens undivided attention while in the car with them, lets make it great time focusing on them and not the traffic. Or better yet you could move back to Atlanta where I'll bet the traffic really ruined YOUR day!!!

Um, did either of you actually read what I wrote?

We do leave early, but we still sit in line for sometimes up to 30 minutes in the mornings.

Lehb58 -- Wow, I didn't deserve that at all. I'm not picking on Mainstreeters at all. There was no reason for such a rude response. I'm glad you at least tried to walk, found it wouldn't work, and do what you have to do. At least you tried.

No, I don't go into MS at all for any reason. We live straight down 144, so I have no reason to go into your neighborhood.

I wasn't whining about anything. I was just sharing, as others have, about the morning wait time. You've judged me without even knowing me, and I must say I'm rather shocked at that. We, in fact, do go over spelling and whatnot while sitting in the line. That was a totally unnecessary comment from you in that area.

All I said was that the morning was different than the afternoon line because they have to let buses and Mainstreeters in, whereas the afternoon they make everyone get into one line. That was it. I'm sorry if you thought that was picking on your neighborhood, as that wasn't the point of my comment at all.

Thanks very much for the "welcome" to RH with "move back to Atlanta" comment. Wow, that was warm and welcoming.

I don't even know how to end this... I guess I'm just shocked at how rude and hurtful these comments directed toward me were. Wow.