AISD looking into "dangerous" bus stop in South Austin

Officials with the Austin Independent School District say they are looking into a school bus stop parents say is “dangerous.” 

Frustrated parents in South Austin are concerned about the dangerous stop on Manchaca Road near Sedgemoor Trail. Parents say many cars do not stop for the bus on the busy road. 

AISD, is in charge of placing school bus stops. Thursday, a FOX 7 Austin reporter spoke with AISD officials -- and they visited the site. 

AISD Assistant Director of Transportation and Vehicle Services Mike Rios was part of the visit and says “[the stop is] not what we would deem hazardous per our conditions.” 

According to AISD, a hazardous road condition means a student must walk across a freeway, expressway, overpass, underpass, a bridge with no walkway or major traffic artery. 

Students do not have to cross the road to access the Manchaca stop, so it does not meet those criteria. Though, that does not mean it is safe. The district does not have hard guidelines when it comes to dealing with traffic. 

“I mean, there is heavy traffic flow. If people are obeying the law, stopping when they’re supposed to stop, obviously, it’s not gonna be an issue. But, when this is happening and we’re getting calls and reports, then we need to respond accordingly.” Rios said. 

As for that response, Rios says the district “will see about moving the stop to a safer location.” 

A safer location could mean a nearby neighborhood. Given the size of the school buses, the main question is whether or not the buses can stop, and maneuver in a neighborhood close enough to the current stop to make a stop re-location safe and worthwhile. 

Another possibility could be working with the city to put out a sign warning drivers of the bus stop ahead. 

Rios says the district expects to have an answer on the course of action they have chosen on Friday. 

“Safety is our highest priority,” Rios said.