CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Charles Allan says he drops his three children off at Luther Jones Elementary School most mornings, and he sees the same problem: drivers ignoring one-way traffic signs.
"Every morning that I come to drop my kids off on this one way here, I have cars running against traffic," Allan said.
The signs clearly state the street is one-way from 7:15 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. on school days, but Allan says many drivers continue going the wrong way anyway.
"It just locks everything up because we have both the lanes going one way. And then somebody thinks they can just be real quick and turn out and potential collisions happen," Allan said.
The problem has persisted for the three years his children have attended the school, Allan said, but he hasn't seen the law enforced despite several one-way signs throughout the school zone.
On Nov. 13, Allan says he spoke with a Corpus Christi Independent School District police officer who told him the one-way wasn't in effect or that signs indicated the end of the one-way zone, he said.
"So they started saying that the one way is not a one way or it's not in effect. Or that sign is the indication of the end of the one-way. When in all reality, the one way is the school zone," Allan said.
Frustrated by the ongoing issue, Allan started a Facebook page to raise awareness about wrong-way drivers.
"And I get flipped off when I try to remind people. I get yelled at, all sorts of things," Allan said.
He also contacted school leaders, who told him an officer would be stationed at the school Friday. KRIS 6 News confirmed an officer was present Friday morning.
"This right here says one way. Right, and we just had somebody turn," Allan said while standing near the signs.
Corpus Christi Police Department officials said CCISD police can enforce the one-way restriction, but CCPD rotates officers throughout different schools to enforce traffic laws and doesn't have enough resources to dedicate an officer to each school.
CCISD has not responded to a request for comment.
Allan said his message to the district is simple: enforce the signs or take them down.
"Either take the sign down or enforce the sign. I want to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and maybe say they don't know this has been a problem. But that's why I'm doing this," Allan said.
Allan said he hopes the officer presence on Friday becomes the norm moving forward.
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