Chloe Kinzig ’14: In order to improve the circulation of campus traffic during the morning commute, a safety official of the Episcopal Academy has been assigned to the intersection at the three-way stop sign right before the entrance to the middle school circle.
Now, Every weekday morning from 7:35 to 8:00, James Wellman, member of the Plants & Operations Department, directs traffic through the stop sign at this intersection in order to prevent the significant back-ups the community experienced during its first four years at the Newtown Square campus.
On public roads, failure to obey a stop sign results in a fine of $109.50 and three points on your license. However, according to the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code, a person operating a vehicle must obey a stop sign “unless otherwise directed by a uniformed police officer or any appropriately attired person authorized to direct, control or regulate traffic.”
Wellman was assigned to the position because of his previous training and experience in traffic control.
He commented, “I was also trained at Episcopal to make eye contact with all drivers in order to change the directed flow of traffic.”
Wellman feels this action by the school has made an improvement in morning traffic flow. However, he stressed that “all drivers [should] observe all directional signs while the campus safety officer is not there.”
Some students have expressed that they appreciate the new system. Taryn Gallagher ’14 commented, “He’s pretty necessary. It used to get so backed up without him.”
Mary Catherine Curran ’13 agreed, noting, “He helps wave traffic through and keep traffic moving.”
Although there are multiple vehicles driving by him each morning, Wellman stated, “I feel very safe when people use their turn signals and pay close attention to my directions.”
Wellman dislikes standing outside in the cold winter weather but relishes the positive feedback he receives from the community and the fact that most Episcopal commuters are respectful.
When asked if he would rather trade places with one of the men directing traffic further up in the circle, Wellman replied, “Absolutely not. I like the action. I really thank everyone who tries to be as safe as possible.”

PDF Download