Morning Traffic causes dilemma for young drivers
Waking up and getting ready for school is something students don’t exactly look forward to, nor is having to leave early to make sure they get to school on time. Whether you’re a parent dropping off your child, part of the faculty or a student, trying to access the school parking lot is a hassle. With the gate at Eastview High School recently being closed, it has impacted many students, causing them to leave even earlier than they already do.
With cars approaching from both directions on 140th street, there seems to be a lot of congestion. Recently there has been a change, closing the upper gate during school hours. For those fellow drivers who used to use the gate as access to the lower student parking lot, they have been greatly affected. However, others may say that the traffic flows much faster now, and it is easier to quickly drop off students and avoid sitting in the traffic. Its crunch time, students trying to enter a school parking lot with only one entrance can be stressful. Many students have chosen to buy parking passes so they have the privilege to park in a closer lot, unfortunately that comes with having to leave home a little earlier. But some students have found an easier way to manage their way to school. Instead of paying ninety dollars for a parking pass and not having to sit in as much traffic, they chose the alternate lot, otherwise known as the “loser lot.” This lot is considered part of the Teen Center and for free students is allowed to park their cars there and walk across the field. Equally both taking time, either waiting in the traffic and walking across the fields students have to leave at a decent time to arrive and be on time for first hour. Although there is a lot students can park in for free, walking that extra distance just doesn’t cut it. Like any student would want to walk the extra distance, students cough up one hundred and eighty dollars a year to pay just to park closer. No matter which way you approach the school there will be some traffic, hundreds of cars are rushing into the same place at the same time. Kailyn Pederson a student here at Eastview noted, “Administration wants to make it easier for the teachers and parents to get in the parking lot.” The purpose of the gate being closed is to relieve less traffic jams between the parents and faculty and the students. Another student here at Eastview is Brooke Zeimen, a daily user of the upper gate until it recently got closed, stated, “Now I have to wait for the light and go through the traffic. I think more kids will drive to school by carpooling, they just get so frustrated.” As the school year is almost half way over students are hoping the change of the new gate will go back to old ways. It has effected students but also the drivers on the road who aren’t driving to the school. Those drivers on the road also sit through the traffic jams daily and have to mingle their way around that. Traffic and rush hour affect many drivers daily and it’s difficult to avoid completely. Brookes has s suggestion to clear up this congestion that takes place in front of the school every day and that is,” to re-open the gate and let things flow naturally, and they will. There is no use in trying to control it when it is frustrating to the students and faculty.” So whether you drive yourself to school or not, with the change of the gate being closed, it has affected everyone in some way or another.