Here's the recipe: Take 1,500 Pilgrim students, about 600 parents who want to be there for the first full day of school, a parking lot without any defined travel lanes, add a steady rain, and mix it all together at 1:45 p.m. Then wait six
This item is available in full to subscribers.
We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continue |
|
Here’s the recipe: Take 1,500 Pilgrim students, about 600 parents who want to be there for the first full day of school, a parking lot without any defined travel lanes, add a steady rain, and mix it all together at 1:45 p.m. Then wait six minutes for the end of the school day.
Here’s what you get: Anxious and irate parents, drivers who think they know better than the sopping school administrators trying to direct them, soaked students who really don’t seem to mind getting all that wet, and a bunch of impatient motorists who can’t understand why traffic is at a standstill on Warwick Avenue.
“This is an absolute mess,” Kristen Silva said Thursday afternoon, as she and hundreds of other parents fought their way to Pilgrim High.
Silva was right. Traffic was stopped at the intersection of Warwick Avenue and Narragansett Parkway as cars making the left turn from northbound Warwick Avenue blocked the southbound lane.
School administrators knew traffic would be a problem and sent a connect-ed message to the homes of Pilgrim students advising if they were going to pick up their children they should loop around the back parking lot. Principal Gerald Habershaw said some people tried that, but the plan came apart as parents picked up their children elsewhere, cutting off the flow. It being the first full day of school and with rain falling, many parents chose to make pickups. Adding to the confusion, first-time Pilgrim students weren’t familiar with the system and didn’t know where to find their bus. And the buses were caught up in the tangle as well.
“It was a perfect storm,” Habershaw said.
School administrators and police tried to straighten it out, but the volume of traffic was too great for the designed route. Even alternate neighborhood streets couldn’t take the pressure.
Habershaw reported conditions were better Friday morning, yet the system needs improvements. Superintendent Philip Thornton and Mayor Scott Avedisian, who had visited the school on Wednesday when only the freshman class reported, were back on Friday to explore alternatives. An option being considered is to open a road at the back of the school to adjoining Holliman Elementary School. Some students arrange to meet their rides and use Holliman as a drop-off now. Opening the road would provide an alternative route, but also increase traffic on Holliman neighborhood streets.
Habershaw urges students being bused to use the bus. Buses weren’t at capacity Thursday, meaning students were being dropped off and picked up.
“We haven’t seen a school this size in 25 years,” Habershaw ventured. He remembers Vets being the city’s largest school at 1,100 students. With the closing of Vets as a high school – it is now a junior high – students who would have attended Vets are now at Pilgrim and Toll Gate. The bigger portion of students went to Pilgrim.
While there were first day of school delays at Toll Gate, they weren’t like Pilgrim. Toll Gate also has a higher percentage of bused students, where Pilgrim has 700 walkers. As it was raining, the parents of many of those walkers arranged to pick up their children Thursday.
“We knew there was going to be some issues,” Habershaw said.
In anticipation, the entrance to the back of Pilgrim was widened and a walkway used by students headed toward Warwick Avenue built on the inside of the field fence next to the road. Habershaw is hopeful the system will improve “once we work out some kinks” and a routine settles in.
Yet, he also observes, “there’s not an easy fix.”
19 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
richardcorrente
Dear reader,
The above article talks about an "exodus" bringing traffic to a standstill. I predict another "exodus". We have teachers who have worked diligently, with no contracts, for much too long. Other school systems must be looking very attractive to them by now and the Mayor has done absolutely NOTHING to get the two sides together. He states that he can't, by law, take part in negotiations, but he can do a lot to encourage the negotiations and he hasn't even attended one School Committee meeting! I have attended them all and as Mayor I will continue to do so. Avedisian is a "hands-off" Mayor. I will be a "hands-on" Mayor. Which do you prefer?
Richard Corrente
Endorsed Democrat for Mayor
Tuesday, September 6, 2016 Report this
Justanidiot
I think that the administrator's are doing a fine job and are worth every penny they take home. Who knew that increasing the student population would increase traffic? Why, back when these folks went to school, everyone walked. Who could anticipate that so many people would bring their kids to school in their infernal combustion wagons. Why, next thing you know, all these students are going to be complaining about the outhouses, want electric lights, and a slide rule for everyone.
Tuesday, September 6, 2016 Report this
Kammy
My 2 daughters went to Pilgrim and I drove them for many years to school. It is always a chaotic scene the first week as parents and students get a routine down. You can't layout a fool-proof plan until you know what the reality will be so give them a day or two and they will straighten it out. I fully support both the Principal and Vice Presidents of Pilgrim. I appreciate all they did for my family when my kids were in their care. They will make it work. Just give them a chance.
Corrente - not everything is about the l mayor. I can't wait for the election to be over so I don't have to see your comments on every article in the Beacon.
Tuesday, September 6, 2016 Report this
JohnStark
There are 600 more kids at Pilgrim now than there were just three months ago. That's a 60% increase! Gerry Habershaw is a good man. They'll get this figured out. Perhaps staggered dismissal times. You do have to wonder what all this looks like in a snowstorm.
Tuesday, September 6, 2016 Report this
richardcorrente
Dear Kammy,
I don't consider you naive at all but please don't believe that the Mayor doesn't make an impact on "everything". He absolutely does. He has an effect on everything he does and, in the case of the School Department, does NOT do.
As far as you not liking some of my comments...
well...
You really don't have to read them if you don't want to.
Enjoy the Autumn everyone. Hope to see you all at the Food Truck event on Thursday 9-8-2016 from 4:30 on at the City Hall.
Richard Corrente
Endorsed Democrat for Mayor
Tuesday, September 6, 2016 Report this
PaulHuff
Richard,
Your pandering to the WTU is getting really old. All the other unions in the City took zero's for raises and did givebacks while the teachers took raises. Now that it is their turn to take a couple of zeros they won't negotiate.
You seem entirely too eager to appease the unions and also appear anti-business base on your comments about the D&D at Main Ave and Greenwich Ave.
Furthermore you seem to think that the Mayor has a say in what the school committee does. It's another elected body.
You are not the candidate Warwick needs. I agree with the other poster who said she can't wait until this election is over so we don't have to read your comments after every story.
Tuesday, September 6, 2016 Report this
KatieG77
This whole situation is insane. Could someone explain why the kids weren't split up more evenly? I've been dropping off my daughters at Pilgrim for the past 2 years. In past years, if we didn't get to the parking lot before 7:15am the traffic would be significant. We live less than 5 minutes away driving. For me to have to leave by 6:45am to get anywhere near the school is just plain crazy. (I have yet to drive to the back of the school since Thursday, letting the girls out before I got there because they walked faster than the traffic was moving.) This obviously wasn't completely thought out. Tollgate has more room for kids and traffic of this magnitude so why are the majority of kids from Vets at Pilgrim? My kids said that some of the classes they went to had so much traffic in the halls that they were at a stand-still. I'm not sure how this situation will get better even as routines are established. It is very frustrating and I am positive is having a negative impact on the students.
Tuesday, September 6, 2016 Report this
MikeBlake
Unnoticed but trapped in the confusion would be all my pals at the Pilgrim Senior Center next door to the school.
I hope eventually they all made it safely home!
Tuesday, September 6, 2016 Report this
warwick10
It was beyond insane and dangerous! There is no solution--it is so overcrowded --inside and out! Traffic in the halls, traffic in the streets and no parking! Sure we received a memo on the parking situation, stating follow the same route as last year! My child is a freshman! Even so, with the consolidation, you're asking parents to follow last years route? We knew this was going to happen but nobody listens and nobody cares!.
Tuesday, September 6, 2016 Report this
frunobulax
There is no way they are going to ever figure this out. I have literally ZERO faith in the school administration or Avedesian or even Richard "loses by at least 20 percentage points" Corrente. There are too many students at Pilgrim. There is no suitable way to get them to school in the morning or pick them up after school. There never will be. The whole consolidation and closing of Aldrich and Vets was ill-conceived at best, and will prove to be a complete failure. But hey, all that money the city is going to save is surely going to make my taxes go down, so great, right?
Hello?
Tuesday, September 6, 2016 Report this
HerbTokerman
Helicopter parenting at it's finest.
There is no reason that high school kids shouldn't walk to and from school if they don't qualify for bus service.
Tuesday, September 6, 2016 Report this
KatieG77
Dear Mr. Herb Tokerman,
Maybe some of us "helicopter parents" don't want our kids crossing a major street where people run red lights, don't obey speed limits and don't pay attention to the road. This intersection where a child had died. Maybe some of us "helicopter parents" happen to be driving that way to work and give our kids a lift on the way. Maybe some of us "helicopter parents" enjoy bringing our kids to school because we know it won't last forever and don't mind it.
I don't know about anyone else, but my 2 kids who go to Pilgrim are super smart, have jobs, are independent and make good decisions for themselves but I will damn well protect them as long as I can.
Wednesday, September 7, 2016 Report this
warwick10
You're right, our high schoolers should walk to and from school, but they cannot because of the crazy school zone speeders. Drivers--adults-- forget (or don't seem to care) passing isn't allowed in school zones AND they don't stop @ crosswalks! The schools should be promoting walking and biking to school, BUT the need for walkers and bicyclist safety, involving our teens, cannot be overemphasized! The safety of our children should be our highest priority.
Wednesday, September 7, 2016 Report this
KatieG77
Exactly warwick10. This is most certainly NOT a safe place for kids to walk. Don't even get me started on Fairfax Dr. with no sidewalks. Accidents waiting to happen.
Wednesday, September 7, 2016 Report this
bendover
WHINE, WHINE, WHINE! Herb is right, just pathetic! Here's a clue...Talk with a teacher or retired administrator from 68-71 at Pilgrim and someone from the traffic division of the Warwick Police...Things got worked out, I know, I was there with 1,500 leaving and 1,500 starting the afternoon session. Was it busy, YES, was it total chaos, NO...because there was a plan...Stop all the parking right in front of the school from 1:40 until 2:15...Make all traffic exiting the student lot turn right. Allow buses, handicapped students only turn left out of the bus driveway and put a traffic cop there. And you wonder why budgets get all screwed up?
Wednesday, September 7, 2016 Report this
Kammy
A young girl was killed walking to school a few years ago by a bus so the helicopter parenting comment has no teeth. I was very concerned about my daughters walking all the way from Rt. 37 to Pilgrim, especially in the winter when side walks are not accessible on Post Road. The other problem was parents that took too long unloading their children at the front of the school. Sometimes even parking and waiting until closer to the bell before their kids got out. You can start there and have it be a simply drive in, unload, drive out. Also have those that are entering the parking lot come from Warwick Ave. Maybe even make another entrance accessible by the track. There was simply no way the administration could know how big the problem was until it happened. You can plan but you can't predict the future.In a few weeks everything will settle into a routine.
Wednesday, September 7, 2016 Report this
The Berg
Bendover, I'm curious how many drivers in 1968-1971 were distracted by cell phones or were texting while driving. Your comparison of time periods is apples and oranges.
Wednesday, September 7, 2016 Report this
warwick10
Bendover, here's a plan --Talk with a teacher or school administrator @ Pilgrim and someone from the traffic division of the Warwick Police in 2016!
Wednesday, September 7, 2016 Report this
SadieA
The Berg: I'm not sure what cell phones have to do with anything. Nobody should be on the phone or sending text messages while navigating this traffic mess.
Bendover: Double sessions began at Pilgrim in September of '69. There were probably closer to 1800 students in the AM session but the PM session was only around 600 because it was only the freshman class coming in. There were also additional teachers coming in at this time but generally, 9th graders do not drive. More students rode the bus. Fewer students had parents dropping them off at school. And far fewer kids had cars to drive themselves to school. There was a limit on the number of cars allowed in the student lot. You had to register your car and get a parking permit ( I think it was $2 back then). Seniors got first crack at the spots then juniors and sophomores had their chance.
Thursday, September 8, 2016 Report this