JCPS parents wait in long car rider pick up lines as traffic backs up in some Louisville neighborhoods

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Lines to pick up Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) students are causing bad traffic in some Louisville neighborhoods.

Chenoweth Elementary School dismisses at 4:20 p.m. but some parents arrived over two hours early on Thursday to save themselves a spot.

The traffic was clear by 5 p.m., but several parents sat on Brownsboro Road for over an hour and a half waiting to pick up their student. At one point, traffic spilled over onto Brownsboro Road from Chenoweth Lane to Country Lane to Zorn Avenue for over an hour before dismissal.

A recent construction project aimed at improving safety in this area cut lanes down.

Drivers said it has left very little room for those not picking up students to get past parents waiting.

JCPS pick up lines 2.jpg — Car rider lines at Chenoweth Elementary School on Aug. 15, 2024. (WDRB photo)

And this problem is happening at other schools too, like Audubon Traditional Elementary.

"It's a gas guzzler for sure, but I have to get here early," said JCPS grandparent Melissa Richardson. "I know they're doing the best they can, but it's just not enough. There are just so many extra car riders because of the busing. I don't know what they are going to do."

Richardson said the line has gotten better in the morning.

Louisville Male High School parents also told WDRB that morning car rider lines have also gotten faster.

JCPS said it's evaluating all car rider lines and has seen improvements at a majority of its schools already. The district also anticipates it will continue to see dismissal traffic clear faster over the next several weeks. But the district points out, that it does not have control over the traffic patterns on the roads around schools.

Nearby businesses like, Wildflower Salon on Brownsboro Road, are also impacted by the extra traffic. Tara Monyhan, the Wildflower Salon's owner, said Chenoweth Elementary School's car rider line blocks driveways and access to several shops around the corner throughout the morning and the afternoon.

"The phone rings all the time, in the morning and the afternoon during the car pool time, can't get to you, going to be late. I don't understand. I see the lights changing but no one is moving," Monyhan said.

Monyhan said to stay on schedule they've had to turn some business away.

It's also important to remember, JCPS cut buses for most magnet and traditional schools this year, which has led to more car riders. The district is offering stipends to families who lost transportation, but those have not started yet.

JCPS said the stipends are $5 or $10 per day. It's $5 for most families $10 dollars for families who qualify for free and reduced lunch.

The district's goal is to open signups to the public later this month, but again, no date has been set.

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