Every morning, dozens of cars pile into the PCH parking lot, all vying for a spot before the 7:35 am bell. Some students are able to claim one of the 314 spots without much trouble. Others however, have to battle the tumultuous traffic or find alternative places to park.
In a survey of 62 senior students, 40 percent report almost getting into an accident and almost 10 percent say they have been in an accident in the school parking lot.
To avoid this, some students used to park outside of Aish HaTorah, a Jewish organization located south of our school. Eventually, the amount of students using the lot became overwhelming and the members had to put their foot down.
“It was a decision by the board, too many people were parking here. We didn’t have any spots,” said staff member Claire Wolff. Wolff and fellow staff member Caren Goldstein also reported an incident of a student crashing into the building and damaging the banister railings.
Aish HaTorah is a private building, meaning any unauthorized vehicles can be towed, costing the driver up to hundred of dollars to retrieve their vehicle from impound.
The other forbidden parking lot is the staff parking lot. A recent surplus of students using the staff lot has caused the School Resource Officer, Officer Chris Kaatmann, to move away from his usual post on Stadium Drive where he typically directs the morning traffic. Lately, Kaatmann has been moving between the staff lot and his usual station to see if his presence has any influence on the traffic flow.
“With some parking lot issues, I’ve moved back into the staff lot to keep an eye out,” Kaatmann continued, “I’ve been keeping an eye on what the flow looks like now to see if it’s any better without me or moves better with me.”
Officer Kaatmann has not noticed a significant difference regarding his presence, but says that some students have asked when he will return to Stadium Drive to direct traffic. Kaatmann has also observed that the main problems lie not with the students, but with the parents.
“I’m actually quite proud of most of our students. I think their driving tends to be pretty good. More issues I’ve had would be with parents,” explained Kaatmann.
Other students feel the issue is with other students. This year, Sophomores are permitted to use the car park, making the making the maximum number of students able to park 973, far over the available 314 spots. Understandably, the upperclassmen are dissatisfied. When asked about their biggest pet peeves when parking, one anonymous senior said, “Underclassmen parking in the front rows.” Another similarly said, “WAY too many sophomores have parking spots and it’s annoying.”
The primary deterrent against unauthorized parking are the fines. To use the lot a parking pass is required under threat of a hefty fine. The parking pass costs $80 or students can pay a fine of up to $30. However, not every student gets caught for forbidden parking. Everyday, dozens of students dodge fines by using the back lots or secretly using the staff lot.
Some students think the best solution is upgrading the lot. “Make more than one entrance into the parking lot. Much of the traffic jams can be avoided if there are more ways to get in/out of the parking lot,” wrote one senior.
Likewise, Officer Kaatmann thinks changes to the system will improve the situation, “If it’s possible another entrance, but I’m not an engineer.”
Any potential renovations would not be possible during the school year meaning seniors will have to endure the tumultuous traffic for the rest of the year. There is still a chance for underclassmen to see future improvements, provided the school board agrees.
