Many upperclassmen, especially seniors, drive to school each day. The first hour of the day also has some of the most tardies. The barrage of late student arrival is not a coincidence as the large number of cars heading to the same location at the same time is bound to cause traffic. Many students travel towards the school on Danforth, and this is likely not the best idea as that road is already full of drivers heading to work. So, what paths could students take to avoid high-traffic areas and the train? 

First, we’ll talk about avoiding traffic. Danforth is notoriously the busiest road leading to the school, and next would be Kelly, so trying to stay off these roads is essential. An effective route to school from the north may be to drive down Covell and then turn onto Thomas to enter through the Junior parking lot. Therefore, students will avoid most of the traffic and the train–students should still be able to reach their usual parking spot from the Junior lot anyway. If they live south of the school, the best way would be to drive up Fretz, drive under the tracks on W Edmond Rd., if necessary, and then travel straight into the senior lot and from there to their usual spot.

Anneliese Hilst, a senior at Edmond North, was asked about her morning commute to school.

“I drive down Danforth from the east side. I will typically leave at eight A.M.  to reach school in time, but I often run into the train, resulting in being late to the first hour,” Hilst said. 

If students live east or west of the school and don’t want to drive north or south to go under the train, it will be best to leave earlier to account for traffic and learn the train routes so they won’t get stuck. 

Teagan Yates, a senior at Edmond North, speaks on his daily drive to school. 

“I drive down Boulevard and turn right onto W Covell and go under the train tracks. From there, I turn left onto Thomas and then into the parking lot,” Yates said. This is an example of how students can get to school without driving down Danforth or Kelly.

Students should also be wary of construction projects along major roads to the school. There is a page on Edmond’s website that lists all major roadway construction projects. Checking this website should help broaden students’ knowledge of construction in Edmond and aid in choosing a good route to school.

With this knowledge, students should be able to avoid being terribly late or avoid being late often.