Alison
Blasingame
Co
Photo Editor
The murmur of hushed voices is heard throughout the auditorium as the
students curiously wait. The students, all of whom drive themselves to school
in the mornings, have been called down from their second period classes to
learn the new traffic pattern that will soon take effect.
As Dr. Stephanie Guy turns on the microphone, she asks the students to
quiet down so she can explain the new plan for them to drive to school without
the traffic backup.
The idea to change the traffic pattern to drive to school was first
formed years ago. Dr. Guy mentioned to Dr. Staples that a continuous loop
around the school would allow traffic to run more efficiently, but the idea
never got off the ground.
“The Virginia Department of Education said we couldn’t have a continuous
loop, so the idea died,” Dr. Guy explained.
The idea was revived earlier this year.
“It was Ryan [Hartman’s] suggestion,”
said Dr. Guy.
Hartman approached Dr. Guy before Christmas break about changing the
school’s traffic pattern, which brought the idea of a continuous loop up again.
The only problem was, the same predicament regarding the Virginia Department of
Education’s policy remained, but this time a possible solution was proposed.
“We thought, if we couldn’t have a continuous loop,” said Dr. Guy,
“could it be temporary?”
The plan for a temporary continuous loop behind the school was submitted
to Mr. Richard Hixson, Chief Operations Officer for the school board, and it
was later approved.
Some students were skeptical about the new plan from the start, which
involves driving around the middle school side of the building and behind the
school along a gravel path connected to the senior parking lot.
Complaints quickly emerged as some students protested that the new path
was a huge inconvenience since they park on the side of the school, in the
marketing parking lot.
“I have to drive a lot farther because I park on the side of the school
because of mentorship,” Wagner said. “It feels like I’m going out of my way.”
Others were concerned about the damage
rocks from the gravel path could cause to their cars, while others didn’t think
it was much of a concern.
“I didn’t really care,” senior Kristina Key said. “I have a jeep so the
mud and rocks don’t bother me.”
Others complain that the gravel path is bumpy
at times, but thanks to Mr. Greg Dolak, that problem has been kept to a
minimum.
“Mr. Dolak has been very responsive and helped every time we need gravel
or a pothole filled,” said Dr. Guy.
Despite initial disadvantages though, students seem to be warming up to
the new traffic route.
“It saves me more than five minutes everyday,” Wagner said. “It takes a
lot of time off of my commute to school in the morning, and the left lane
doesn’t block intersections anymore.”
“It makes everything easier,” Key said. “ I get to school a lot earlier
and there are no more traffic jams.”
These sentiments are largely shared among student drivers, so it seems
that despite initial concerns, the new route is a success.
“Feedback has been very positive,” said Dr. Guy. “Traffic isn’t backing
up to 17, and bus drivers have also spoken positively about it.”
When the plan was first proposed to students,
it was decided that if the new route was superior to the old one,
administrators would attempt to have the gravel road paved. It now looks as
though this plan will become a reality. It is now in the plans to have the
gravel road paved with asphalt this summer.