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Eighth‑grade civics students present traffic study; report finds 67.7% of respondents driven to school
Summary
Eighth‑grade students from Mr. Duffy’s civics class told the Sandwich School Committee they surveyed 127 respondents and found 67.7% are driven to school; they recommended measures including a traffic light, better signage and more adult traffic direction to address safety and lateness.
Eighth‑grade civics students presented a classroom traffic study to the Sandwich School Committee, reporting that 127 students and staff responded to a survey showing 67.7% were driven to school, 12.6% took the bus and 19.7% were staff who drive, and describing multiple proposals to ease congestion.
"We found that 67.7% of out of 127 students responses said that they were driven to school and 12.6% said they took the bus," the group said during their presentation. The students said many families cited after‑school activities and long bus rides as reasons they drive.
Their proposed short‑ and medium‑term fixes included adding a traffic light outside the school entrance, placing more adult volunteers to direct traffic during peak arrival and dismissal times, improved signage to guide drivers, and clearer drop‑off/pick‑up lanes. A longer‑term option they offered would finish and extend an existing rear roadway behind the campus so buses and cars could be separated.
Committee members asked about survey method and historic bus usage. A committee member noted that an earlier bus study led the district to remove two buses and save “roughly $200,000,” and asked whether a new balance could be struck between cost and safety. Students said the survey was distributed to the whole school (students and teachers) and noted the district had already trialed a revised traffic pattern that produced immediate improvements.
Superintendent and committee comments focused on getting family feedback to understand parent choices and on practical constraints: long routes for district riders, afterschool schedules that make bus use impractical for some families, and school choice that forces some families to drive. Committee members encouraged the students to continue outreach and noted the presentation demonstrated a civic advocacy process that other student groups can follow.
The committee did not take formal action on the students’ recommendations during the meeting; staff said the ideas will be considered during upcoming strategic planning and transportation discussions.
