Menu
Traffic congestion part of 'back to school' experience
The Mountain Home School district kicked off another school year Monday and congested vehicular and pedestrian traffic quickly peaked over reasonable limits.
According to Sgt. Rick Viola of the Mountain Home Police Department, Hacker Middle School is one of the main schools with traffic problem. On the first day alone, the traffic at the front of the school was tied up for long as 20 minutes as parents tried to drop their children off at the front door.
"School is back in session, and there is a lot of traffic to notice at this point," said Viola.
Viola would like the residents going to Hacker Middle School to do the following in the midst of peak travel times:
* From 7-8 a.m., due to the heavy traffic volume, take a different route from 14th St. and American Legion and N. Kent and American Legion.
* For the end of the school day, from about 2:30-4 p.m., take an alternate route from N. 10th East Street and American Legion.
The police department will have its resources in school zones to aid in solving the congestion. They plan to hand out traffic warnings until further measures are needed.
Viola recommends that the people heading to the school should plan ahead, and leave early in order to get to their destination on time, however do not exceed posted speed limits, he warns
"We want people to be safe and be patient," said Viola.
East, North and West Elementary have had no increase in traffic flow. North has informed parents who are dropping off their children to drop them off and go, and for walk-ins, they require the parents to park in the parking lot.
Mountain Home High School had had no problems with its traffic in the morning. After school the congestion is heavier than a normal day.
Mountain Home Junior High has had no grievances with its traffic flow at all, as 60 percent of their students come in buses. The traffic flow with the buses and the remaining students never intersect, school officials said.