Back to School: Traffic & Safety Reminders for Highline Families

Highline Schools and other area schools are now back in session. Drivers, please stay alert to changes in traffic patterns around schools and remember regular school-year safety requirements.

Areas with Challenging Traffic

188th in SeaTac (between International Boulevard and Military Road):
Tyee High School has opened its new building, and students are no longer bused to the interim site in Des Moines. Expect more traffic in the area about 30 minutes before school begins at 8:00 a.m. and after school ends at 2:30 p.m. Monday–Thursday, and 1:00 p.m. on Friday.

200th in Des Moines (from the Des Moines Creek Trail to First Avenue South):
On September 3 at 8:05 a.m., there was a ¾-mile backup from the Maritime High School / Pacific Middle School interim site east to Hillgrove Cemetery. With school starting at 8:05, an estimated 100 students were stuck in traffic at the start of the day.

School Zones: Slow Down

Remember, when school-zone lights are flashing, the speed limit is 20 mph. Be especially watchful near schools at any time of day.

School Bus Rules (via AAA Washington)

Highline has dozens of school bus routes. AAA Washington clarified what drivers must do when buses stop with lights flashing:

Two-lane roads: Drivers in both directions must stop until the stop sign is retracted and lights are off—unless there’s a median or island.
Roads with a median or island: Only drivers traveling the same direction as the bus must stop. Oncoming traffic is advised, but not required, to stop. Proceed with caution.
Roads with three or more total lanes (with or without a median):
- Drivers in the same direction must remain stopped until the stop sign is retracted.
- Drivers traveling the opposite direction should stop, then may continue cautiously.

A Tricky Road: First Avenue South

First Avenue South is particularly confusing for drivers, with sections of two, four, and five lanes, plus a mix of medians and islands. That means the rules change depending on where you are. The safest advice: “Be a defensive driver and keep the kids safe. Better wrong and alive than dead right.”