With over 2,000 students at Lake Stevens High School, students may have trouble making their way during passing periods. Around the school, hallway traffic occurs, causing students to be delayed as they make their way to their next destination. Students are expected to follow the 3RS in the hallways, and when people fail to follow these expectations the halls become more chaotic.
“Almost everyone I know has been late at least once or twice because of this [Hallway Traffic],” junior Katherine Holcomb said.
Traffic within the hallways and campus makes it difficult for peers to navigate to their classrooms, especially those who have to walk farther to get to their next destination. When it’s crowded, they have nowhere to go and therefore are stuck being late when it is not their fault.
This issue is especially persistent in East Hall on the first floor and North Hall. Crowding is most prevalent around the doorways. Since students tend to form a mosh around the doors instead of waiting in a line and waiting their turn, this causes everyone to move slower.
There are many ways to prevent the buildups in the halls.
“We could divide the halls like a street, and keep students to their right,” Holcomb said.
Students are expected to stick to the right side of the hallway, move at an appropriate speed and follow the flow. This could massively influence the speed at which traffic in the hallway flows. Keeping students to the correct side would prevent people blocking each other and slowing down. It also makes it easier for people to move along to their classes and navigate. Students are also expected to step off to the side of the hall if having a conversation.
“A lot of people will just suddenly stop in front of me to talk to their friends,” senior Karim Mendez Alvarez said.
Students stopping in the middle of hallways is a massive issue, and it is extremely common. Once one person stops, then the person behind them must stop or slow down, and the chain reaction continues. Students should either step off to an uncrowded area, or wait till another time to have a conversation.
Students should review the student rulebook on the hallway section, and consider how the 3Rs apply to passing periods. Solving hallway traffic would greatly improve our school’s flow.
