SUPPORT A SAFER ACCESS ROAD FOR
JOHN ADAMS ACADEMY

John Adams Academy plans to use Snake River Street as the school’s primary access road, creating serious safety and traffic concerns.Join us in calling on the school to follow Douglas County Engineering’s recommendation to use Middle Fork Road and put safety first.

WHY THIS MATTERS

John Adams Academy (JAA), a charter school opening in August 2026 with no bussing, plans to use Snake River Street as its main access road.This decision ignores the county’s recommendation and will force thousands of cars through our community every week. More importantly, it will create serious safety hazards.The county’s traffic study shows school traffic will send hundreds of cars into short peak windows, many forced into an unprotected left turn across high-speed Waterton Road. This dangerous design invites accidents, and when parents seek faster routes, cut-through traffic will spill into residential streets, putting children, pedestrians, and cyclists at risk.These risks are not hypothetical. They are rooted in the traffic data and the unsafe road design that will affect every family in our neighborhood.

MASSIVE TRAFFIC IMPACT

The county study projects 1,500 weekday trips when the school opens and more than 2,300 at full buildout.Under John Adams Academy current plan, an estimated 200+ cars within a 20-minute window, twice every day, will be forced to make an unprotected left turn from busy Waterton Road onto Snake River Street, creating daily traffic backups and dangerous congestion.

SERIOUS
SAFETY RISKS

Hundreds of vehicles turning across high-speed Waterton Road without a traffic signal creates a dangerous conflict point.The combination of heavy school traffic, rushed families, inexperienced teen drivers, and fast-moving commuters makes this intersection especially hazardous. The risk of serious collisions will rise dramatically if Snake River becomes the main access road.

NEIGHBORHOOD DISRUPTION

Parents will look for shortcuts to avoid long waits at Snake River, which means cut-through traffic pouring into Ascent Village streets like Eagle River, Snake River, and Butte Creek.These are residential streets where kids walk, bike, and play. Turning our neighborhood into a bypass for school traffic puts families in danger and erodes the quality of life we all moved here for.

OTHER COMMUNITIES WARN OF TRAFFIC & SAFETY RISKS

John Adams Academy’s traffic challenges will not be unique to our neighborhood. Families in other cities where the school operates have raised the same concerns, and their experiences show what we risk facing here in Sterling Ranch.

Roseville, CA

"They consistently block and stop traffic, always getting close to causing accidents, park in other businesses where they aren't welcome, and run the risk of serious injury or more. I can't drive into any business I need to nearby because of the recklessness of the parents driving and lack of traffic control the school could do to help.""I'm surprised the city allows this safety hazard to continue on. Force the school to remedy the problem or relocate to another location. Its dangerous trying to get through that area. The school was aware this could be a problem when they chose to setup shop there.""Has anybody else been caught up in the massive traffic jam in front of John Adams Academy when school lets out at about 2 to 3 o’clock? I don’t see how this can be legal when even emergency vehicles can’t get through this.""John Adam’s Acadamy pick up! It’s the worst, I try to avoid that area from 2-4pm..."

El Dorado Hills, CA

“Pickups at John Adams Academy often take 45–60 minutes, and on minimum days they can take twice as long. The drive lines create congestion the campus was never designed to handle, leading to unsafe conditions — I’ve seen crossing guards nearly hit and children forced into the street to reach their cars. These pickups are exhausting, dangerous, and one of the main reasons families leave the school.”

A SAFER ALTERNATIVE EXISTS!

The Douglas County Engineering Department recommended that the school use Middle Fork Road as the primary access point.Middle Fork Road is better suited to handle school traffic safely and efficiently without adding significant travel time. By adopting this route, John Adams Academy can protect students, families, and the entire community while still opening on schedule in 2026.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Your voice matters! This is about keeping our children safe, reducing traffic risks, and ensuring thoughtful community planning. Together, we can make sure student safety and neighborhood quality of life are prioritized.Please sign the petition and share with neighbors and friends.Every signature counts.

This Website Was Developed By Concerned Community Members of Ascent Village in Sterling Ranch.