Many Carlmont students have had the experience of sprinting out of their 6th-period class, trying to get to their car fast enough, just to end up spending 20 to 30 minutes waiting as they navigate the traffic out of the parking lot.
Carlmont has two lots, commonly referred to as the Junior Lot, by the pool, and the Senior Lot, which is next to the softball field. These are the main areas where traffic quickly builds up around 3 p.m. when 6th period is over, and it can take exorbitant amounts of time for students to get home, even if they only live 5 to 10 minutes away from school without traffic.
While a certain amount of traffic is inevitable with a school of more than 2,300 students, some actions can be taken to reduce the amount of time both students and parents spend waiting.
A primary issue is the number of parents driving directly into the Junior and Senior lots to pick up their children. There is a drop-off and pick-up circle specifically for parents closer to the north entrance of the school by the Performing Arts Center (PAC), but many parents opt to pick up their students in one of the lots because the line at this drop-off circle can be long.
However, this creates more issues because parents are pulling in against the flow of traffic and blocking students who are trying to get home. Several instances have occurred where parents are angry with students blocking their way, and this anger is often reciprocated by students.
This situation could be improved if parents were not allowed to pick students up in the Junior and Senior Lots right at the end of the school day, between approximately 2:50pm and 4 p.m. This would reduce the volume of cars in the parking lots which would help ensure students get out faster.
Parents can still utilize the drop-off circle by the PAC, and another more efficient way to pick up students would be having them walk to nearby locations, such as neighboring streets like Valerga, Chula Vista, or Club Drive. Additionally, many parents have their children walk to the nearby Carlmont Shopping Center or Safeway to pick them up there.
Relying on these pick-up locations instead of the two parking lots could reduce conflict and disperse the concentration of traffic in those areas, so students could more easily leave after school or get picked up by their parents.
