Mr. Gaston Arellano, Director of Campus Operations, has some strong opinions regarding pick up and drop off at ILS.

“The lines are meant to ensure safety,” he began.

This year has seen an increase in traffic on school grounds because there is construction going on at the track for the new athletic facilities.

As such, there is no way of having a second drop-off or pick-up line. As a result, both lines were condensed into one big line.

To cut down on the long wait times, Mr. Arellano has some helpful advice.

1. To avoid long lines in the morning, arrive early such as between 6:30 and 7 am.
2. If you are learning how to drive and your parent picks you up and then switches places with you so you and not your parent drive out, it becomes a time-consuming endeavor. The best way to help traffic flow is to eliminate this practice altogether.
3. Know when your parents are about to arrive and be ready for them.
4. Don’t make your parents wait for you.

“Overall dismissal lasts for about 20 minutes,” he explained.

Will there ever be pick-up and drop off at the track again? Unfortunately, not. Since there is now ongoing construction blocking the exit of the track, there is no possible way of being able to pick up and drop off there.

Because of the construction for the “building on the legacy” project the pick up and drop off has been changed and moved around this year.

Our hometown, Miami, Florida, is one of the top vacation locations known for its beaches, shopping malls, night life, universities, and for its prized location.

Miami is also a popular destination because it has easy access to an airport and marinas which makes it ideal afor business and amazing for vacation travel. Miami, overall, has a population of about 6,265,000 people. And as one who lives in Miami, I know first-hand how horrible traffic is during rush hour even when not many tourists are in town. But what happens when it’s winter or spring break, when the tourists truly flock to our shores in droves?

There is more traffic!

About 50 million tourists come to Miami throughout the year. The busiest time of the year is from February until late April, in other words, right now!

People come to enjoy the heat and the sun. Most tourists visit from colder states, so when spring break arrives, they enjoy their time away from the cold and fully embrace the heat.

Miami hosts millions of events like the Boat Show, Miami Art Week, Miami Open, Ultra, concerts, Miami Music Week, Miami Fashion Week, baseball, football, soccer, basketball, Formula 1, and so many other events throughout the year. These events attract millions of tourists which leads to  more traffic.

According to “The Capitalist,” Miami is ranked 9th worldwide and 5th in the US for worst overall traffic. This traffic does not only include locals, but also takes into consideration the vast number of tourists who visit Miami. Both Miami as well as Boston have more traffic congestion and delays, when compared to New York and Los Angeles.

During the weekends, around sunset, there will always be traffic between the months of February until early August because of the beaches. People enjoy spending the day at the beach since it’s Miami. When the time comes to close down the beaches and go home, everyone is rushing to get out. The streets overflow with people coming from the beach and people heading out to enjoy Miami at night.

South Beach, as a result of people going to the beach and people going out at night, recently imposed a curfew.

Miami’s traffic is insane, mostly because it is a great vacation spot for everyone. But could there be a better way to control traffic, especially during the spring and summer?