By JENNIFER AMY MYERS, Sun Staff
LOWELL -- The days of seeing hundreds of Lowell High School students flooding the downtown area when the last bell of the day rings are over, as the Lowell Regional Transit Authority puts its new busing plan into action this week.
Upon the Aug. 2 opening of the $1.2 million Robert B. Kennedy Bus Transfer Center at the Gallagher Terminal on Thorndike Street, the Downtown Transit Center on Paige Street was closed. It was from this hub that between 1500 and 2000 LHS students caught a city bus back home every afternoon.
The Belvidere, Shaw-Stevens, Westford St./Drum Hill and Pawtucketville bus routes will transport students directly to LHS in the morning. Buses serving Christian Hill, Centralville, and Dracut/Tyngsboro will discharge students in close proximity to the school, and all other routes will service the Kennedy Center, where a free shuttle-bus service will be provided to John and Merrimack Streets every 10 minutes.
City buses will now transport students home from where Kirk Street intersects with Paige Street and where it meets Father Morrisette Boulevard, in close proximity to the school. Additionally, a shuttle will leave from the corner of John and Merrimack streets to the Kennedy Center for any student who misses the bus.
LHS Headmaster William Samaras said that students will be given bus schedules when they come to school this morning.
English-as-a-second-language teachers will be on hand to assist students with limited English skills.
“Its a new concept and will take some getting used to,” Samaras said. “I understand why they want to clean up the downtown.”
“It will prevent large groups of kids from hanging out downtown, which was very intimidating to some people, especially the elderly,” he added. “They could just be out there singing, and it would be intimidating, based on the numbers.”
Sgt. Tim Crowley, supervisor of Lowell's school resource officer program, agrees that closing the Paige Street Transit Center will eliminate many of the problems created by large numbers of kids roaming the downtown streets after school, as well as thin out pedestrian and vehicle traffic tie-ups.
“We will be re-routing traffic,” he said. “There will be no traffic allowed on Kirk Street beyond Lee Street from 2-3 p.m. and coming out of the garage at the Tsongas Arena, you will not be able to take a left onto French Street from 2-3 p.m.”
Students in grades 1-9 started school yesterday, and high schoolers in grades 10-12 get back to the books today.
“Today (Tuesday) was the first test and we had a few minor problems, but tomorrow is the big test,” Scanlan said. “In a week or so we hope to have a seamless transition, and if we can't fix any problems by then we are not doing our job.”
Jennifer Amy Myers' e-mail address is jmyers@lowellsun.com.
This story appeared in the Lowell Sun on Wednesday, August 31, 2005