ATHENS-Students at Athens City Schools will start back to class Wednesday, August 10, and Athens Police have changed traffic routes at two schools to better accommodate drop off and pick up lines.
Chief Floyd Johnson said the changes will be at Athens Elementary School and Athens Middle School.
At Athens Elementary, parents are asked to use First Avenue and go east and turn north on Houston Street for the afternoon pickup. This is to prevent traffic backups on Houston Street.
“We also ask that parents please not block driveways in the neighborhoods,” Johnson said. “Parents arrive early and there is a tendency to line up
Police Chief Floyd Johnson
bumper to bumper which blocks homeowners’ access to their driveways.”
At Athens Middle, Christine Street has become a two-way street, however, those entering Christine from Clinton Street will not be allowed to make the immediate left turn into the school campus. Johnson said motorists will need to go around the block to enter the school. This is to prevent traffic jams on Clinton Street.
Johnson said traffic around all school campuses will be heavy between 7:15 a.m. and 8 a.m. and again from 2 p.m. to 3:10 p.m.
“We ask motorists to please be patient and expect increased traffic in school areas,” Johnson said. “Safety is a priority, and we need drivers to be alert for pedestrian traffic and increased vehicle traffic.”
