Letter to DISD Board from John Weeks

Dear Board Members,
I was surprised as were many of my neighbors, to learn that the Forrestridge and Montecito neighborhoods have been tentatively zoned to continue attending Denton High School. With the new construction of Guyer High School, and it's close proximity to these neighborhoods, the thought never crossed my mind that Forrestridge and Montecito would not be in the boundaries of this new school.
As we all know the traffic situation in Denton is rapidly decreasing the quality of life in this "small town". I am sure no doubt, that various traffic studies have been conducted about the feasibility of this zoning. I am concerned however, that there were no alternative proposals that address the inefficiencies and inconveniences this plan places on these two neighborhoods.
I-35 with it's NW - SE orientation allows only two viable routes to connect Forrestridge and Montecito to DHS. These two roads are Ft Worth Drive and Teasley ln. One only has to travel these roads during the morning rush to experience the congestion. What used to take 15 minutes now takes at least 20-25 minutes and will soon take in excess of 30 minutes. To get to DHS from the south side of Hobson one would travel in excess of 5 miles and transit at least 10 intersections with traffic signals, not to mention numerous turns disrupting the "flow" of traffic. The same commute to Guyer High school would entail 1 left turn followed by 1 right turn, transit 2 intersections with signals and cover a distance slightly over half of that to DHS. I ask, which would we rather have our LEAST EXPERIENCED drivers make?
I realize the bus transportation logistics have also been studied in depth, but I wonder with the high price of fuel if it makes economic sense to bus these long commutes as well. A major drawback of the current bus system is that it doesn't offer viable transportation to students involved in extracurricular activities. This burden falls squarely on the shoulders of the parents who can automatically write off at least one hour of their day for transportation to and from DHS. This strikes me as ludicrous when there is a school 5 minutes away! I had hoped the advent of Guyer high school would alleviate some of this inefficiency.
I would ask you to reconsider the proposed boundaries of this redistricting and address this issue as it further attacks the quality of life in these two neighborhoods. Thank you for your time.
Concerned Parent,
J.D. Weeks