24 August, 2018
Dear Parents, Guardians and HHS Student Drivers:
This letter conveys important information about the NEW TRAFFIC PATTERNS FOR DROP OFF AND PICK UP AT HOPKINTON HIGH SCHOOL and, to a lesser degree, Hopkinton Middle School. It is critical that you read this letter carefully and that traffic patterns are followed every day by every driver. Because we have four schools, attended by 3,000 students and 500 faculty, lining a quarter mile stretch of country road, we are asking that you arrive early, drive with caution, execute patience, and leave plenty of time.
The Hopkinton Public Schools has worked carefully with the Hopkinton Police Department, the Department of Public Works, and the traffic engineer from WorldTech Engineering, who designed the road reconfiguration on Hayden Rowe Street. In compliance with the engineer’s plans for the road, we have the following new traffic plans in place. Please read these instructions carefully:
MORNING DROP OFF - ENTERING THE HIGH SCHOOL PROPERTY
FROM THE MILFORD SIDE
If you are a parent/guardian coming from the Milford end of Hayden Rowe Street traveling north, you MUST turn left into the main entrance of the High School driveway. You will see that there is a left hand turn lane specifically designated for queueing and then taking a left hand turn into the High School’s main entrance. Please see the drawing provided by WorldTech labeled “Morning Drop-Off Circulation Pattern,” which outlines how you should proceed into the parking lot.
Only student drivers who park in the Senior Lot or Lots J and K will be permitted to turn left into the Hopkins driveway/Loop Road, as opposed to the main entrance.
Student drivers who park in front of the Middle School should take a left hand turn into the main entrance of the High School and proceed with caution toward the Middle School.
FROM THE CENTER OF TOWN
If you are coming from the center of town traveling south on Hayden Rowe Street, you will NOT be permitted to turn right to enter the main entrance of the High School, but rather you will turn right into the Hopkins School driveway. Essentially, there will be no right hand turns into the main entrance of the High School. Please see the drawing provided by WorldTech labeled “Morning Drop-Off Circulation Pattern,” which outlines how you should proceed into the parking lot.
Only Students who park in front of the Middle School should use the Middle School driveway to access your parking lot.
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MORNING DROP OFF - EXITING THE HIGH SCHOOL PROPERTY
TO TAKE A LEFT TOWARD THE CENTER OF TOWN
When you are exiting the high school, please note that there are NO LEFT TURNS permitted from the main driveway of the High School. ALL left turns must be made from the Hopkins driveway. You will notice that there is a painted and designated left turn lane from the Hopkins driveway.
TO TAKE A RIGHT TOWARD MILFORD
Right hand turns are permitted from either the Hopkins driveway or from the main driveway of the High School. You will notice that there are painted and designated right hand exit turn lanes at both the Hopkins driveway and the High School’s main driveway.
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AFTERNOON PICK UP - HIGH SCHOOL
Drivers are no longer permitted to queue up on Hayden Rowe Street. With the narrowing of Hayden Rowe Street, the breakdown lane has been eliminated. Therefore, beginning at 1:30, drivers will enter the Hopkins School driveway/Loop Road and queue up on the Loop Road behind the High School. Please see WorldTech Engineering drawing labeled “Afternoon Pick-Up Circulation Pattern.” The red line indicates the ONLY area where cars will be permitted to queue. This area will be clearly marked “STUDENT PICK UP ZONE” where drivers line up along the sidewalk immediately below Field 9 to safely pick up students. Students being picked up at the High School should exit the building from the back cafeteria exit. Once students are safely in the car, drivers should proceed along the two-way section of the loop road to access a turn-around.
Cars will not be permitted to queue up anywhere else on the Hopkins driveway/Loop Road road. Drivers will not be permitted to make three point turns on the Hopkins driveway/Loop Road. Drivers should not enter other parking lots.
Student drivers should also note that left hand turns will not be permitted when exiting the HHS main driveway in the afternoon. Students wishing to take a left hand turn should use the Hopkins driveway only.
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MORNING DROP OFF - FOR PARENTS WITH STUDENTS AT BOTH HMS and HHS
If you are dropping off a middle school student as well as a high school student, we ask that you drop off both your middle school student and your high school student at the Middle School and ask your high school student to walk from HMS to HHS. This will help to alleviate traffic congestion in front of the High School and will permit drivers to take either a left or a right hand turn coming out of the Middle School parking lot by the water tower.
The Hopkinton Police Department and the school district’s crossing guards will be on site to help families navigate these changes. We believe these traffic patterns, once we are accustomed to them, should help traffic move more efficiently on what is a suburban thoroughfare.
HILLER DAYS
FROM THE CENTER OF TOWN
For drop off in the morning on Hiller Days, parents coming from the center of town and traveling south on Hayden Rowe Street should enter into the Hopkinton Middle School parking lot by the water tower, travel through the lot to the High School, and exit through the main entrance of the High School to turn right and through the Hopkins driveway to turn left. This should remove traffic from Hayden Rowe Street and minimize interference with the arrival of the Hopkins Elementary School children.
Student drivers coming from the center of town and traveling south on Hayden Rowe Street, may take a right hand turn into the main entrance of the High School on Hiller Days and proceed to their assigned parking areas.
FROM THE MILFORD SIDE
For drop off in the morning on Hiller Days, parents will proceed as they do every day: You MUST turn left into the main entrance of the High School driveway. You will use the left hand turn lane specifically designated for queueing and then taking a left hand turn into the High School’s main entrance.
Only students who park in the Senior Lot or Lots J and K will be permitted to turn left into the Hopkins driveway/Loop Road on Hiller Days.
Thank you for reading this letter and viewing the attached drawings. And, thank you for your help in making these new traffic patterns work for everyone. School Resource Officers, Uniformed Officers, and Crossing Guards will be on site to help direct traffic.
Should you have questions about any of the contents of this letter, you may call either the school department, the police department, or the highway department, depending on the nature of your query.
Sincerely,
Carol Cavanaugh - Superintendent of Schools
Evan Bishop - Hopkinton High School Principal
Alan Keller - Hopkinton Middle School Principal
John Westerling - Director of the Department of Public Works
Ed Lee - Chief of the Hopkinton Police Department
