New Traffic Pattern Causes Congestion Problems At West Senior High

Parents are up in arms over a new traffic pattern at Traverse City West Senior High, complaining that it's causing daily chaos during school pick-ups and drop-offs. Leaders at both Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) and the Grand Traverse County Road Commission (GTCRC) insist the matter will be resolved soon thanks to the forthcoming installation of a “modernized traffic signal” at the high school’s entrance and exit on North Long Lake Road.

In February, TCAPS approved a $4.45 million project to revamp West’s traffic circulation system, including changes to the school’s entrance and exit, parking lots, pick-up and drop-off areas, and sidewalks. TCAPS completed the first phase over the summer, with the second phase slated for summer 2026.

As part of this summer’s construction, TCAPS worked with GTCRC to eliminate one of West Senior High’s two traffic signals. Previously, the school had separate ingress and egress driveways, both of which had corresponding traffic lights on North Long Lake Road. Over the summer, TCAPS and GTCRC scrapped the easternmost light and demolished the dedicated exit point, consolidating all traffic to the entrance across from Herkner Road.

Speaking on the project in February, TCAPS Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Christine Thomas-Hill said eliminating the second light would “cause less congestion on North Long Lake Road” and minimize “chaos” for vehicles entering and exiting the school. A month into the school year, though, many parents say it’s doing the opposite.

“The district spent so much money to re-do [the traffic pattern], and it is now so much worse than it was last year,” says Sally Roeser, the mom of a student at West. “I don't know how anybody can make it to work on time after they drop off their kid. School starts at 8:05am. I drop my kid off at 7:45. I have to be to work by 8. But I'm not pulling out of there until 8:05. So, it takes a good 20-25 minutes after I drop my kid off to just get out of there.”

The problem, Roeser tells The Ticker, is the lack of a left-turn-only signal for drivers trying to exit. During morning rush hour, she says, the majority of parents dropping their kids off at West then need to turn left on North Long Lake Road to head toward town. Without a left turn light, that traffic has to yield to drivers turning right on North Long Lake from Herkner Road – a near-constant flow of cars, according to Roeser.

“Usually, only two cars can get out at a time, and sometimes it’s just one car and they have to turn left on a yellow-turning-red light,” Roeser says.

Roeser isn’t the only frustrated parent. An Overheard in Traverse City thread she started to talk about the redesign saw dozens of colorful responses. “It’s like they let a kid draw on a napkin,” one dad wrote of the new traffic design. “It’s crazy that TCAPS spent $4.5 million to make the situation worse than it’s ever been,” a mom added. “It’s nuts. I suggest a helicopter delivery,” a third parent joked.

TCAPS Superintendent John VanWagoner says he’s aware of the issue, and insists everything will flow better once the entire project is finished. “That will help a ton, but that can't happen until next summer,” he tells The Ticker. “There was no way to be able to do it all in one summer without the risk of not having it done for the start of school.”

VanWagoner also believes the issue has been exacerbated by road closures on nearby Barney Road and US-31. 

“With all the other construction going on the west side, Long Lake Road has become the de-facto entrance to Traverse City,” he says. “I think that's bottlenecking a lot of stuff up.”

Despite those contributing factors, VanWagoner agrees with parents that modifications to the North Long Lake/Herkner light are needed this school year. And according to Chris Elliott, interim engineering manager for GTCRC, those modifications are coming soon.

“The current intersection configuration at Long Lake Road and Herkner Road/TC West Senior High is a temporary phase while preparations are made for the installation of a modernized traffic signal,” Elliott told The Ticker in an email. “GTCRC received federal safety grant funds to upgrade this signal. Because this project involves federal funding, the process for awarding the contract was more complex than for a locally funded project, resulting in a longer timeline than anticipated.”

Per Elliott, the contract for the new signal “was officially awarded on September 25, following the bid opening on September 5. GTCRC has been in contact with the low bidder since shortly after the bids were received, and the contractor is aware of the community’s strong interest in seeing the project completed quickly. Together, we are working through the required paperwork, testing, and material approvals necessary to begin construction.”

=Elliott says the upgraded signal will provide “vehicle detection systems to better adjust signal timing to meet the needs of the traffic present at the intersection; left turn lanes with dedicated left-turn arrow signals, similar to the signal at North Long Lake Road and Zimmerman Road; and a pedestrian signal to serve the crosswalk between the southeast and northeast corners of the intersection.”