Due to the Ninth Grade Center (NGC), more students are riding buses than ever before.  In order to alleviate problems caused by the NGC, Seminole High School has implemented a new traffic pattern. This pattern, to be implemented on Oct. 22, will change the location of the bus route loop and eliminate certain areas of student parking.

The new pattern will change the location of the bus ramps to help alleviate the heavy traffic on Ridgewood Avenue and Georgia Avenue. The buses will be rerouted to the KWC bus ramp, and they will exit to Georgia Avenue to continue on to the NGC.

Joan Clowney, the Route Manager at SCPS transportation, said that the new pattern will significantly minimize the amount of time that it takes students to get home by avoiding daily back-ups on Ridgewood Avenue and surrounding streets.

“When the buses have to leave [the main campus] and pick up students at the NGC, they have to keep making turns, which adds time, so they’re not getting to the NGC ramp on time,” said Clowney. “Now, all they have to do is turn once into the NGC. The buses will be all together and we won’t have to fight with parent traffic.”

However, the KWC ramp is significantly smaller than the current bus ramp. Some bus drivers have expressed concerns that not all the buses will not fit, but are reserving judgement until Monday.

“It’s a smaller ramp, and there’s a lot of buses. I’m thinking it’s going to be a little difficult, but I think we can do it,” said Satyra Williams, who drives Route 243. “I don’t know how, but we will see on Monday.”

Despite this, SCPS has assured students that the buses will fit and be able to travel easily without incident.

“We measured it out,” said Clowney. “We will be able to make four lines, and they will be labeled. Hopefully the drivers will be in the same line every day, and the students will learn where their buses are parked.”

The parking situation will also be transformed as a result of the traffic pattern. Students will no longer be able to park in the KWC lot, and will be required to park in the Junior or Pool parking lots. Faculty parking will be relocated to the former Health Academy bus ramp and the former visitor spaces in Pool parking. Visitor parking and student drop off, meanwhile, will move to the front ramp by the front office, where parallel parking will be created.

Several students who park in KWC or Tribe Hall have expressed concerned about being able to find parking.

“The new parking situation is incredibly inconvenient since parking was already bad enough,” said senior Kierstin Phillips. “Now they have changed it with barely any notice for students.”

As with all new changes, the traffic pattern has raised many questions among the student body; however, most have agreed to wait until Monday to see whether the situation resolves itself.

This a developing story. Please check back for updates on our social media channels.