If you’ve been on the St. Dominic campus during the last week, you might have noticed the hectic traffic jam both in the hallways and the parking lot. With over 270 new freshmen, 400 student drivers, and COVID still rampant, how can we keep every student safe on and off the road?

The t-hallway of the 200s and upper 300s is a hotspot during passing periods with almost every student trying to cram their way to their next class. This causes much more than just hallway traffic jams.

“I’m not going to lie, the t-hallway is pretty terrifying. Everyone jam-packed in a tight space, getting pushed around. It’s a lot,” senior Liv Knobbe said.

The main stairway leading up from the basement is another traffic hotspot. Students basically come to a complete stop trying to walk up to their next class, making it hard to get across the school in five minutes.

The best way to ease up the traffic is to head outside during passing time. It’s quicker and allows for some fresh air during the long day. Even if you’re making the trek from the basement all the way to the mezzanine, walking outside will help make sure you get to your class on time.

The 2021 school year brought the largest freshman class to St. Dominic and with it, hundreds of cars all trying to drop off and pick up students. It has created a traffic frenzy in the parking lot every morning and afternoon.

There are a couple of efforts made to help ease the traffic jam. Freshmen and sophomores get released five minutes early at the end of the day to help get the line moving for easier dismissal.

To help ease the congestion, many students have started to get to school earlier, so as to not add to the drop-off traffic. The administration team is able to clear the long drop-off line in about 15 minutes, so you can always wait after school to make leaving easier.

“We can all be patient as we continue this temporary pick up system,” principal Stacy Stewart said.

Thankfully, the new Center for the Sciences building and parking lot that will be completed this spring will help provide more space for students within school and help ease the traffic for student drivers and parents.

We’re so glad to have such an amazing increase to our St. Dominic family. We’re all trying to work hard to make sure everyone is safe, happy, and most importantly, together.