By Martin Couch
A new plan has been designed by the Bryant School District, with the participation of the Bryant Police Department, to ease the traffic flow of vehicles through the main campus, which includes the high school, Bryant Middle School and Bryant Elementary School.[more]
"Our buses pull out at 3:22 p.m. every day," said Bryant School District Director of Transportation Tom Farmer. "This will help get all the traffic out quicker and safer."
On Woodland Road, there will be two lanes to Sullivan and there is a stop sign at Shuffield. The third through the fifth grade drop-offs and pick-ups will stay to the right and the kindergarten to second grade also stays to the right, consequently filling the two lanes. The K-2nd lane will go in front of Bryant Elementary and the 3-5 grades will be behind Bryant Elementary.
For pickups during the afternoon, there will be a stop line instituted with a caution guard in place to make sure the children get safely to their rides.
At the middle school for the sixth and seventh grades, which lets out at 3:30 p.m., school personnel and crossing guards will be stationed at the crosswalk by the softball field. There will also be Bryant police officers on duty to direct the traffic flow around the parking lot by the fieldhouse (building 40). Traffic will turn onto Hornet Way then right onto Sullivan and there will be two lanes up Sullivan and out.
"The city is working on timing the traffic lights on Reynolds Road to get traffic flowing smoothly all the way to the freeway," Farmer said.
"Another big change will be on Sullivan with a two lane road to the ninth grade, which will change the whole flow,” he added. “There won't be a north end exit. We will block off traffic for the ninth grade."
The flow of traffic will be through the circle drive and parking lot, then back out the same way to a stop sign to go right or left.
"We're hoping to get 20 or 30 cars out with the lights," Farmer said.
The middle school pick up and drop off will remain the same.
As far as the high school goes, Pine Street will connect to North Pine and Harris to Fourth Street. Traffic will move right or left onto Fourth Street or across to Pine.
Building one area is now opened up for parking.
