By: Kaliya Williams; Staff Writer
Ever since the start of school, the traffic in the student parking lot has become drastically worse. On average, getting to school every day takes me around 10 minutes but once I approach the student lot, I get stuck in a line of cars, adding an extra 10 to 15 minutes to my commute. This line of cars causes chaos and traffic every morning, to the point that many students are arriving late to class due to the unpredictability of traffic. Why are so many cars rushing to get into the lot and why has it become worse this school year? Upon entering the parking lot it becomes clear many of the students in the cars aren’t actually driving, they are being dropped off by their parents.
Understandably, many students cannot drive yet and need rides to school. However, is our current student drop-off system effective? Many of the students who park in the lot are new to driving, so being stuck in traffic and coming in late to class is an additional stress. I can also understand the perspective of parents wanting to drop off their child as close as possible to school, but is that really necessary? I would hope all Mills students are capable of walking an extra block from the student drop-off lane to get to class. I see the student parking lot as somewhere students can go to park without the hassle of waiting for traffic to clear or sitting and waiting for each parent to stop in the middle of the parking lot just to drop off their child and watch them walk all the way into school. The stop-and-go traffic can also lead to an unsafe environment prone to accidents. I’ve seen many parents driving with no caution for the many students walking through the parking lot and even stopping in the middle of the lanes holding up student traffic.
Talya McDonald (12) and Ciara Whipple (12) both agree student drop-off creates additional traffic every morning but think the problem could be mitigated if parents could properly use the student drop-off lane. Micheal Duer (traffic director) also stated he believes this is becoming an even larger safety issue; with many parents coming through the lot trying to find somewhere to drop off their child they often block handicapped parking spots, stop in the middle of the lane blocking traffic, and drive carelessly. These unsafe driving habits can lead to potential accidents or injuries. Not waiting for their turn, speeding, or double parking is not an uncommon occurrence for many of the drivers in the lot. Duer has suggested an updated layout for directing traffic in the mornings. There is a lane attached to the student parking lot designated for student drop-offs. However, the large majority of parent drivers either don’t know about this lane or choose not to use it.
Considering the alternative plan to reduce traffic, there should be a turning point in the near future. Students and parents can follow the plan for traffic reduction and orderly driving in order to shorten student commutes to school and reduce the possibility of accidents.
