Traffic Light at Wake Forest - Rolesville 9th-Grade Center is a Danger

WAKE FOREST, NC - Wake Forest-Rolesville High School uses a 9th Grade center for...what else, 9th Grade. But the traffic to and from the 9th Grade Center leaves a bad taste in a parents mouth.

To access the school there are essentially two routes; one on White Street and one on Allen Street. White Street is the preferred road because it is all right hand turns....this makes a LOT of sense. The other path, Allen, has a traffic light at the corner of Allen and Wait. This light is SO FAST that if 2 or 3 cars can get through the light in a cycle, drivers consider themselves extremely fortunate.

With a light cycle of less than 9-seconds, if you are a daredevil with a foot on the pedal ready to take off - as a lot of the drivers tend to do in that area - then you will, or may, make it through the light in one or two cycles. But, if the person is an average driver and waits the second of so in the event a driver on Wait street does not stop at the red light (as we all should for safety), then there is a HIGH chance that only the first couple cars will make it through the light.

This causes another issue, red-light-following, also known as tail-gating and a very dangerous practice around a school where children walk at that time of the day. After the light changes to red a couple cars slide through in the hopes no one pays them a care. This creates and amplifies a very hazardous situation.

The fastest way to alleviate this issue is extend the light cycle to 30-seconds or more so parents leaving the 9th Grade Center can clear out of the area more efficiently, and safely. Since the light is pressure pad activated, this will not cause a delay during the non-school hours and it will increase safety for the students, bus drivers, and teachers at the school; and decrease traffic congestion in that area almost instantly.