Mint Hill, NCDOT work together to make road safer in front of school

MINT HILL, N.C. — Parents and neighbors are concerned about a dangerous stretch of road in front of Lebanon Road Elementary School in Mint Hill.

After the Channel 9 report on Monday, reporter Kristin Leigh learned the town and the N.C. Department of Transporation are working together to find a solution to make the area safer.

They said there are too many vehicles that travel down a road, which cannot accommodate the amount of traffic.

Police handed out seven citations Monday morning in hopes to send a message to drivers who make dangerous decisions on the road.

[LINK: TRAFFIC MAPS]

“There's a traffic problem,” concerned resident Joe Lane said.

Lane and others said drivers are being reckless.

“The crossing guard out there, cars ignore him and go through when he tries to stop traffic,” Lane said.

(VIEWER VIDEO: Unsafe driving in front of Lebanon Road Elementary School)

Vehicles line up to pick up students on the road as frustrated drivers try to go around them using a turn lane as a bypass.

The maneuver is illegal, Mint Hill police Capt. John Rowell said.

“We'll be back out here this afternoon and periodically throughout the week,” Rowell said.

The Mint Hill Police Department has stepped up enforcement because they've gotten about 20 complaints from parents,” Rowell said.

He said, unfortunately, they cannot be there every day.

“Slow down and have some patience,” the police captain said.

Rowell said there's very little the town can do because it is a state-maintained road, so the responsibility falls on drivers to be considerate.

A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district spokesperson pointed out the district has no jurisdiction over the roadway.

Cox Media Group