A critical part of every student’s morning routine is planning when to leave the house in order to get to school on time. In Ventura, Calif., drivers strategically plan out their route to their destination to avoid traffic everyday, and it’s no different for students at Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech), as navigating the roads near schools can frequently be challenging.
Ventura County is very populated with all levels of education, providing a variety of elementary, middle and high schools. Pros of this situation include there being a wide range of schools to attend, while cons include an increase of cars on the road during “pick up” and “drop off.”
Many schools are located closely together, while others are near busy streets and intersections. For example, Telegraph Rd. and Foothill Rd. are used by parents and student drivers alike every day as it connects to roads leading to the three big high schools in Ventura: Buena High School, Ventura High School and Foothill Tech. With all schools starting at 8:30 a.m., some drivers are forced to reroute their path just to beat the traffic.
Lauren Fossati ‘25 said, “I think a difficulty I find when driving to school is finding a good window so I don’t hit too much traffic … it can get really busy around [Foothill Tech] considering there are high school and [Ventura] college students trying to get to class.”
A solution some students suggest for this is promoting different methods of transportation to school, such as biking or walking, though this method would only be convenient for those who live close to the school they attend. Many schools are isolated in one distinct area, so students who live far away may find it hard to make the commitment to walk or bike to school.
“I think a lot more people could be biking to school or work if they live close enough and are able to. We should be taking advantage of the bike lanes around Ventura,” Bennet Rodman ‘26 said.
For the sake of safety, construction is a necessary activity to protect drivers on the street, but in any situation, construction on busy roads can be difficult to work around. Construction often involves workers having to close off entire lanes or turning off busy street lights, which only furthers the backup cars face when driving to their destination.
Ammar Atiah ‘26 said, “[The city] should probably do construction at a different time rather than during school hours, especially in the morning when everyone is trying to get [to school].”
While not necessarily to blame for the traffic buildup, pedestrians who are near heavy traffic zones can cause more issues for drivers who are trying to make it to school on time. Pedestrians legally always have the right of way, forcing cars to let them pass on crosswalks and intersections until it is safe. Students at Foothill Tech who are dropped off or park outside of the immediate drop off zone in front of the school use these crosswalks, and though helpful and safe for those students, they can be hazardous for drivers.
Hailey Hall ‘25 says, “I think it might be better if people had designated pick up spots that weren’t right in front of the school … there are lots of parents taking up parking on the street and trying to get to the pickup circle in front of school.”
Though committed to getting to school on time, drivers often find themselves having to make risky moves to accomplish this goal. Whether that be speeding to make a green light or turning left on red, the fear of arriving at school late can make drivers fail to follow basic traffic rules.
New students who start to get their license as soon as sophomore year can cause some more problems as well. Students add on to the amount of cars already on the road and new drivers can pose the problem of lack of experience, increasing the potential of hazards.
There is no immediate solution for traffic problems around Ventura, so it’s best that drivers continue to be flexible and make appropriate decisions on the road to get to school in time.
