EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – Residents living in West El Paso’s Cimarron Canyon subdivision are sounding the alarm over potential traffic nightmares they say will be caused by a new middle school currently under construction.
Neighbors argue that poor planning around the new Canutillo ISD Aldrete Middle School on Resler Drive, combined with ongoing commercial and residential development, will soon overwhelm local roads.
Their primary concern centers on the school’s student drop-off zone, which they fear will push severe congestion directly into their neighborhoods.
“We’re not against education. We’re not against the school. I mean, we’re against poor planning,” said Cimarron Canyon resident Gustavo Mendoza.
Mendoza and his neighbors point out that the school is being built right next to one of only two exits to the subdivision. According to Mendoza, the district’s traffic impact analysis anticipates around 600 cars driving through the area in a single hour, heavily impacting intersections where some roads only have one lane.
“We see a lot of risk and a lot of potential issues, not only just for people commuting every day, but also for emergency services, and also for the pedestrians,” Mendoza said, noting the proximity to a popular walking trail on Resler.
As a solution, residents are asking the school district to move the main student drop-off location further north of Resler Drive and away from Cimarron Canyon Drive, which is a wider road better equipped to handle the heavy influx of vehicles.
Canutillo ISD officials, however, maintain they are prepared for the increased traffic. District spokesperson Gustavo Reveles stated that they’ve developed systems to manage the flow without spilling out onto residential streets when the school is operational.
“What we’ve done, as far as we are concerned, is we’ve developed systems and plans to make sure that the traffic flow for pick up and drop off… is part of the design of our school in our parking lot,” Reveles said.
The district has also committed to using police officers and district staff to direct traffic to help minimize the negative impact on the surrounding neighborhood.
City Representative Alejandra Chavez, who represents District 1, addressed the issue at a City Council meeting earlier today, where council members took action to rezone the property where the school is being built. The change shifts the land from commercial to residential zoning.
Chavez stated she is actively working with the City’s Streets and Maintenance Department, along with Planning and Inspections, to find proactive solutions.
“Mitigation efforts are going to be a traffic signal, and some other things like signage that will be implemented, [and] timing of the traffic signals,” Chavez said. “I’m working really closely with those departments to make sure that the constituent concerns are addressed and that we’re being proactive about it as much as possible.”
You can learn more about the project by clicking here.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.