Action Line: Traffic congestion at Lakenheath Elementary School Published March 30, 2010 By Col. Jay B. Silveria 48th Fighter Wing commander ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- COMPLAINT: It is 3:05 p.m. as I sit in Lakenheath Elementary School looking at the traffic snarling through the parking lot waiting to exit. School has let out at 2:35 p.m. and the buses "rolled" at 2:45 p.m., yet there they sit, motionless and idling. The lights at the intersection of Norwich Avenue and Lord's Walk need to be reconfigured somehow to avoid the constant congestion in the mornings and afternoons. In the morning, it is considered a safety issue at the Elementary School since parents drop off their children and compete with the buses to exit the parking lot. Thus, traffic gets backed up and parents will drop off their children in the parking lot in lieu of the "kiss and drop" area, so creating a safety hazard for the children who must navigate their way through our busy parking lot with cars rolling throughout. It also delays the buses coming into the bus drop area as the line of traffic created prevents them from getting into the bus ramp. We have brought this to Command before as well as the School Advisory Council, yet nothing seems to be done. With the completion of new housing adjacent to the elementary school, the traffic is only going to get worse. RESPONSE: Thank you for your comments and concern for our students attending Lakenheath Elementary School. As you mention, the issue with traffic congestion at Norwich and Lord's walk has been brought to leadership, and we are working several solutions. To alleviate congestion in the short-term, Security Forces places a patrol at this intersection to manually control the intersection lights every day during the peak morning and afternoon sessions. This is effective, but with limited Security Forces manning, there are a few occasions when the patrol can't respond in a timely manner. To truly correct traffic flow problems at this intersection for the long run, we need a long-term solution. Our Civil Engineer Squadron has initiated that first step by initiating a comprehensive traffic survey. Although this takes time, we want to make the correct long-term solution, and gathering exact data on the traffic flow will help us identify the correct fix to congestion at this intersection. In addition, we are also pursuing a complete Area Development Plan. This will incorporate the continued construction of housing in Liberty Village, the associated demolition of older base housing and the future construction of a new BX. The Area Development plan will incorporate a second entrance in/out of Liberty Village further west on Lord's Walk. With the combination of corrective measures from the traffic flow survey plus future construction of an additional entrance/exit to Liberty Village, we can significantly reduce current congestion concerns. We ask for your patience as we continue to improve our installation and our way of live. ******************************************* The Action Line is your direct link to the commander for complaints, suggestions or comments. It's not intended to replace the chain of command. When normal command agency channels haven't been able to resolve your concerns, call 226-2324, e-mail Action.Line@lakenheath.af.mil , send through distribution (48 FW/PA), mail (48FW/PA, Unit 5210 Box 215 APO AE 09461-0215) or hand carry your Action Line to the public affairs office (Building 1063). You may remain anonymous; however, to receive a reply, please leave your name, unit, duty or home phone number and full APO mailing address. Names are confidential.