North High’s new pick-up and drop-off policies, aimed at managing traffic congestion before and after school, have been ineffective, locals and North High administration say.

The system, outlined in an announcement linked on North High’s website, acts as an attempt to manage and direct traffic away from Polo Road and toward the bus platform.

“I’m sure you are well aware of the problems we all have been experiencing with the morning drop off and the afternoon pick up in front of the building,” the announcement states. “We are trying to work out a more permanent solution that will allow us to keep our students safe, especially during these particularly heavy traffic times.

The changes were made in compliance with the Village of Great Neck ordinances and signage placed at the front of the school, specifically the “No Stopping” and “No Standing” signs on Polo Road. 

An incident that occurred on Wednesday afternoon, the day before the changes being implemented, in which drivers received tickets from Nassau County Police for not abiding by the signage and waiting on Polo Road reportedly contributed to the new policy as well.

Notoriously, the previous system had created tremendous crowding on weekday mornings and after school, making it difficult for cars to enter and leave the area and presenting dangers for students and drivers during pick-up and drop-off times.

However, the changes to the system have since been ineffective.

Residents living on Polo Road express that the policies have done little to guide the traffic flow.

“I was not aware there had even been a change,” said Jose Torres, a Great Neck resident living on Polo Road. “The only thing I see is that when I come home in the afternoon when the parents are picking up their kids, there are cars in my driveway. In the morning, when I’m pulling out, there are a bunch of double-parked cars over there.” 

Others have attributed the lack of improvement to the attitudes and manners of drivers picking up and dropping off kids in the mornings and afternoons. 

“I haven’t noticed anything really because people don’t obey the signs,” another Great Neck resident living on Polo Road said. “It’s really a difficult situation to fix. People are just not very polite. When I need to get out of the driveway, people are blocking the driveway and that’s in addition to parking illegally.”

The residents’ sentiments are shared by North High’s school officials. In particular, Principal Daniel Holtzman noted that “the number of cars dropping off and picking up has not changed” since the implementation of the new policy and that there has not been a “significant difference in traffic on the surrounding roads, particularly in front of the school.”  

While the situation remains unresolved, it is important that efforts action are being made to implement more effective changes to keep students and the rest of the community safe.