Earlier this school year, FCPS made several budget cuts when adopting the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, one of which ultimately resulted in replacing McLean’s traffic cop with a crossing guard. FCPS’s change to civilian crossing guards comes as the Fairfax Police Department is facing a shortage of patrol officers, many of whom were pulled for traffic duty.

Since making this change, traffic at the Westmoreland entrance has become unbearable, with many community members calling for change.

This crisis arises from how the new crossing guard handles traffic compared to the previous traffic cops. While traffic cops can be used to control general traffic, the current crossing guard is confined to solely pedestrian safety. While this is generally helpful for students who walk and bike to school, for those who drive, it has turned the Westmoreland intersection into a nightmare.

Driving into the school, it is now a common occurrence to see the left-turn lane backed up far down the road, causing cars to sit in traffic for at least five to ten minutes. Many have started driving into nearby neighborhoods or making U-turns to make the faster right hand turn into the school. On the other hand, in order to get into the school quickly from the left-turn lane, people either have to make assertive driving choices or run the risk of being honked at by the line of twenty cars behind them.

The new crossing guard further exacerbates this issue at times. When there is a decent-sized gap in the traffic, often, the crossing guard will choose that moment to halt the left-turning lane traffic and allow pedestrians to cross. By the time traffic resumes, that gap is often gone, and another long wait begins.

Unfortunately, the same stress and long wait times apply for getting out of the school too. Since there is no officer directing general traffic, students have to wait for a gap. For most, it isn’t nearly as bad as driving into the school—the exception being if you get stuck behind or are the car trying to turn left out of the school. Then, the excruciating process of waiting for the car to clear both lanes before making the turn begins.

The intersection would be far safer and more effective if FCPS brought back the traffic cop. If that is not feasible at the moment, FCPS should at least provide some sort of general traffic management for the back entrance. Students already have to stress about everything they have to do once they get to school; the task of getting to school should not be another stressor.