The Piedmont City Council closed the paved area between the traffic island in front of the Veterans’ Hall and added a loading zone in front of PMS, in order to improve public safety. The new traffic changes were approved in meetings held on Oct. 5 and Dec. 7.

The police department had voiced concerns that the traffic congestion in front of Veterans’ Hall, resulting from vehicles attempting to drop off kids by going around the traffic island, blocked the ability of police cars to respond to emergencies, said Director of Public Works Chester Nakahara.

“There have been a couple of instances, according to the police, where people refuse to move even though they had their lights flashing,” Nakahara said.

The lane between the Veterans’ Hall and the traffic triangle was changed into a police parking zone, and since there have not been any problems pertaining to police parking, Nakahara said.

Another traffic change implemented in response to a request from PUSD was the addition of a loading zone in front of PMS. The right lane functions as a student drop off zone on weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. It also serves as a student pickup zone from 2:45 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. on Wednesdays. At all other times, this lane is a 30 minute parking zone.

Each morning the maintenance department sets up cones to mark off the lane, in which people are supposed to pull as far forward as they can to drop off or pick up students, Director of Facilities Pete Palmer said.

“If [the right lane] fills up, then it’s like an airport, [the parents] are just going to have to drive around [the block],” Palmer said.

The week of Jan. 4 was the first trial week for both traffic changes. Some problems associated with these new changes that cause traffic congestion, such as food deliveries to the schools, have since been noted and will be addressed, Palmer said.

“Any sort of suggestions as to how we can make this safer or more efficient, we’re open to that,” Palmer said.

The feedback the city has received so far has been mostly positive, Palmer and Nakahara both said. However, there have been some parental and student concerns about increase in traffic congestion, Nakahara said.

“It’s made me have to leave earlier because I can’t depend on [my commute] taking a certain amount of time,” junior Rebecca Glick said.

Most teachers remain unaffected by the traffic changes because they arrive before the student drop-off rush, history teacher Mark Cowherd said.