SOUTHAMPTON — An hour before class lets out at the William E. Norris Elementary School, cars start lining up along the curb on Pomeroy Meadow Road.

Some park about a quarter-mile down the street. They wait until 3 p.m., as the buses line up in front of the school, when the gate to the pickup area at the rear is opened.

To alleviate the congestion problem next school year, the town is looking into constructing an additional driveway, at a cost of approximately $100,000, to allow separate entry points for cars and buses.

Select Board Chairman Charlie Kaniecki said he would like to see the project started this summer, even if that means temporarily using gravel for the driveway and looking into funding options for asphalt and other materials.

Claire Sullivan, of Easthampton, picks up her grandchildren about once every other week. But when she does, she’s always first.

“I get a real kick out of it — being No. 1,” Sullivan said last week as she waited, parked on the curb on Pomeroy Meadow Road.

She pulls up and gets her spot at 2 p.m. The gates to the Norris School driveway open at 3 and students come out shortly after.

Sullivan said she doesn’t mind waiting. It’s quiet time for her, she said. And afterward, she takes her grandchildren to Burger King.

Michelle Rivera typically comes to pick up her 9-year-old son after working at the Stop & Shop deli.

“Buses are crowded,” she said. “Even if he were to take the bus, he wouldn’t get home until quarter to four.”

Brandee Nelson, an engineer from Tighe & Bond, visited the school last month to observe the patterns and procedures during pickup time.

On Tuesday, Nelson reported what she had observed at the Norris School and presented a summary of alternatives for Norris School circulation to the Select Board. She said the goal is to separate passenger vehicle traffic from bus traffic.

Parents coming into the school to pick up students are using the same entry as the buses. Buses pick students at the front of school while parents drive around the back.

Gates allowing vehicles to enter the driveway to the back of school are opened at 3 p.m. The school does not open the gates earlier because students are using the blacktop for recess.

No accidents have been reported by school or town officials regarding pickup and drop-off times, but there have been complaints by residents and businesses regarding the cars lined up on Pomeroy Meadow Road, the summary from Tighe & Bond states.

When it snows, cars are lined up in the road rather than on the curb and those driving past the school must drive in the opposite lane of traffic.

One alternative Nelson presented involved constructing a 400-foot driveway, which would fit about 20 cars and would cost about $93,000. There would be no changes to the pickup procedures, which Nelson called a “very complex and elaborate system.”

Teachers outside at the pickup zone would identify the drivers and whom they are picking up, Nelson said.

Then they communicate with teachers inside the gymnasium through walkie-talkies and children are lined up in pickup order, Nelson said.

Another alternative would be to reverse the procedure for pickup and drop-off, whereby buses would go to the back and parents would go to the front. A new driveway would be constructed, but it would consist of heavier pavement and a wider driveway for buses. It’s estimated to cost about $108,000, according to the summary.

“The goal is to get as many cars off Pomeroy Meadow Road as possible,” Nelson said.

Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettenet.com.

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