Safety concerns persist outside Littleton Elementary after road project

NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla. — Parents at Dr. Carrie D. Robinson Littleton Elementary School said dangerous driving continues to impact the area during school pick-up and drop-off times, despite a $20 million Lee County road improvement project completed in October.

Nicole Howard, a parent of three students at the school, captured video showing a car illegally passing the school pick-up line and nearly hitting a school bus. She said reckless driving incidents like this happen regularly.

"They don't care. They do what they want to do around here," Howard said. "I don't even want my kids to go to this school anymore because of this situation. I have PTSD coming down this road."

Another parent, Stephanie Mayer, said, "Cars will pass, there's a line, and cars will go on the other side and pass."

The concerns aren't new. Parents first reached out to Fox 4 about dangerous driving in the area in 2023. Lee County then completed the multi-million-dollar improvement project, which included widening lanes and adding turn lanes on Littleton Road.

However, Howard said those changes haven't solved the problem.

"[It's] very frustrating," she said. "We spend lots of money on our tax dollars for situations like this to be taken care of, and unfortunately, it's not being taken care of."

Lee County explained why more changes might not be coming in a statement:

"There is insufficient right-of-way available to make additional changes to the roadway. The site is challenging because there is limited space available for stacking vehicles entering the school in the current configuration of the property."

"Additionally, now that we have a two-way left-turn lane along the corridor, vehicles destined for the school can wait in the middle turn lane without blocking through traffic as much. Previously, drivers were performing unsafe maneuvers by entering the opposing direction of travel to get around backed up school traffic. The school district determines the circulation pattern for arrival and dismissal traffic at the school property."

Parents are also frustrated by the lack of school zone signage and safety measures in the area.

"They fly through here," said Mayer.

"No school zones, no flashing lights, no cameras, and that is baffling to me," Howard said.

The school district said the county maintains Littleton Road and makes decisions about traffic control devices.

Lee County also provided information on when slow-speed school zones are utilized in a statement:

"Slow speed school zones are established with guidance from State law. Slow School Speed Zones are intended where you have midblock, uncontrolled pedestrian crossings of school children. There is no crossing of Littleton Road designated by the School District at the school site, and there are limited amounts of children walking to and from this school. Absent a school crossing, there is not an ability to add a slow school speed zone."

The Lee County Sheriff's Office said, "So far in the month of January, LCSO has been present at the school sixty-five times for presence and addressing these known issues."

Kaiser also reached out to the school district and they said in part:

"The School District of Lee County has seen improvement in traffic flow and safety conditions at Dr. Carrie D. Robinson Littleton Elementary School following the completion of roadway improvements on Littleton Road in October. While we recognize that challenges remain during peak arrival and dismissal times, the changes have made a positive difference in managing the volume of traffic."

Howard said she wants to see more changes implemented before a serious accident occurs.

"You have a school bus full of children who are possibly into a collision, and I don't want to have to see any kid go through that," Howard said.

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