It seems like the Lewiston High School parking lot has been a source of accidents and tardiness since it was built in 2020. In an informal survey of LHS students of driving age, all agreed that the parking lot has many problems that need to be fixed.
“After school, it gets so crazy,” said Madysen Bruce, a sophomore.
Most students agree that after school is the worst time to try to leave campus. In the student lot, only one row is dedicated to exits; yet many students line up along the one-way rows anyway to try to leave.
“Trying to leave the parking lot after school makes me late to get home,” said Kyla Nesset, a senior. “It takes me about 20 minutes to get home when it should take half that, simply because it is so hard to get out.”
This waterfall effect not only affects getting home, but also means some students cannot consistently get to class on time. Many students said they have to show up at least 30 minutes early to avoid circling for a spot.
“I used to show up at 7:30, but could never find a good spot; now I show up at 7:10 just to get a sort of close spot,” Ted Blasingame, a junior at LHS.
Administrators have been taking steps to make the parking lot safer and reduce accidents. According to Annette Province, an assistant principal, there are a few key steps students can take to keep themselves and others safe.
“If we were all traveling the same direction [safety-wise], it would create a better flow and fewer issues,” said Province, one of the assistant principals at LHS.
With the combined efforts of students and staff, the parking lot may someday be a functional, well-oiled machine where students can come and go without the fear of accidents or getting stuck for the better part of an hour trying to leave.
Administrators shouldn’t have to babysit students when it comes to parking; some students park in the teacher’s lot despite warnings and ignore posted signs.
“There’s never any reason to drive over 10 mph in the parking lot,” Nesset said.
Province has witnessed 4 accidents thus far during the current school year, and she admitted that there may have been more that haven’t been reported.
Jessa Hartwig, a senior at LHS, was involved in one of those accidents.
“It made me late to class, and it is because the parking spots are just too small,” said Hartwig.
