The bus loop is in the process of undergoing changes, following concerns for student safety.
This renovation is still in the planning phase, however the changes are projected to be in effect by the beginning of the next school year. “They are hoping that the plans can take action this summer,” business administrator Arlin De La Rosa said.
The primary goal is to make the school’s environment safer throughout the school day, especially in the morning and at dismissal. “It will help with the congestion, making it a little safer, because with staff parking in the front parking lot and buses coming in and out, sometimes it’s really hard to see and students just jet across the front bus loop. It’s very unsafe,” De La Rosa said.
Currently, the plan is to have the buses drop students off in the upper parking lot. There will be a bus lane devoted to this to fully ensure safety. Regardless of this change, staff will continue to park in the upper parking lot. De La Rosa said that students should not expect to see much change at all as the change is primarily taking place in the upper lot, and student parking is in the lower lot. “Staff parking – while we may be losing some of them in the upper parking lot, on a daily basis we don’t ever fill the upper parking lot, and the front bus loop will be gaining some parking,” De La Rosa said.
The buses currently park directly in front of the main entrance to the building. This could be dangerous as the front entrance is also the primary exit for the majority of students. Students even tend to walk alongside the buses when trying to cross the street. An addition of the expected bus loop will hopefully prevent students from getting near these buses, therefore limiting potential risk.
This new change should not have too much of an effect on student drivers, as the lower lot is expected to be untouched. The lower lot is currently where the student parking lot is, as well as the carpool line where students and other drivers move about in the morning and at dismissal.
Students say they don’t have a problem with how the buses currently are and don’t mind if a change is made or not. Going through different exits of the building can be an easy maneuver to avoid the possible dangers of the buses. Junior Josh Reid walks to Fallsmead and doesn’t encounter any issues with the buses as he leaves. “Where they are now is fine,” Reid said.
Other students do notice a possible issue with how students move around the buses. unior Aava Nikakhtar said, “Many of the bus drivers I have experienced drive kind of recklessly and with so many children around a school I’m sure it’s easy to miss one.”
