Is There a Potential School Bus Tragedy in the Making because of Deficient Traffic Infrastructure in the Southern Part of District 1?

Photo of traffic bottleneck at Sorrento Road and Merlin Road, Courtesy of Philip Williamson

Everyone's worst nightmare and fear is that a bus-full of children get hit in traffic, causing potential serious injuries and even fatalities.  We should do everything we can to avoid this type of a worst case scenario from ever occurring if there is any way to avoid it.

But is there a potential school bus tragedy in the making right here in Escambia County's District 1 due to deficient traffic infrastructure?

In my current campaign for the District 1 County Commission Seat, I have been traveling extensively throughout District 1.  I am keeping an updated list of all the issues in all the neighborhoods I visit. It is a detailed list that is growing longer and longer.  And there are many issues I have compiled in my travels to more than 5,000 houses personally thus far in this election.

But over the last several weeks as I have spent a good deal of time in the southernmost part of district 1, I have heard over and over that the intersection of Merlin Road and Sorrento Road is an accident waiting to happen----because there is so much traffic attempting to get out in the afternoons and these folks have to fight against huge throngs of people attempting to head toward Peredido Keh.  And there are frequently as many as 15 school busses loaded with children trying to go left on Sorrento after school lets out.

One concerned resident, the resident that sent me the above picture, said to me recently "Do we have to wait until a bus full of students gets hit and we have fatalities!?! Let's get on with it and get a light out here!"

I told this gentleman I would work this issue and I agreed with his assessment.  I will work this issue starting today--it is far too important to wait until August 30th.  Perhaps the answer, in the near term, is to have one of our school resource officers direct traffic in the mornings and afternoons to alleviate this safety concern until the infrastructure can be appropriately addressed?  I will begin working toward a fix right away.




*Disclaimer:  This is not my campaign site, my campaign site for BCC District one is here.  In an abundance of caution, I place the following disclaimer on this post:

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Jeff Bergosh, Republican, for Escambia County Commission District 1