Trafalgar Woods residents concerned with u-turns

CAPE CORAL, Fla.- People in a Cape Coral neighborhood are afraid someone is going to get hurt. They say drivers are making u-turns in front of the gated Trafalgar Woods community, and are asking the school district to do something about it.

Right across the street from the gated community, is Trafalgar Elementary. During student drop off and pick up, the school puts out cones prohibiting left turns.  But that doesn’t stop people from doing so, in front of the community.

At 7:30 a.m. on a school day, you will find driver after driver making u-turns in front of Trafalgar Woods community.

“It’s a hazard right here in front of our community,” said resident Ron Scalzo. He says the traffic usually lasts an hour.

Trafalgar Elementary puts out cones so drivers have to turn right. “The cars make a right turn they come down, you know, 25, 30 yards and they u-turn into the community area. Where our traffic is going in and out and where the kids wait for the school bus,” said Scalzo.

Some, take a left turn, anyway.

“We’re afraid a child is going to get hit out here waiting for the bus or crossing to get to the school,” said Scalzo.

A Lee County School District spokesperson tells WINK News the school is working with distict securty and safety to find a solution.

“The cones are currently in the best interest of safety and traffic flow and we can do little to control those that circumvent the process to make it convenient for themselves (the left hand turn).”

“For us, we’re kind of looking at it as, the school should just remove the cones, and let everybody get in and out of the parking lot the normal way,” said Scalzo.

So far, there have not been any accidents or collisions. Cape Coral police tell WINK News the u-turns are legal and they have been out to monitor the situation in the past.