Last summer, Park underwent a new construction project. One of these projects was a new parking lot with a bus corral. Despite a new bus corral, buses remain parked on the street. This endangers pedestrians and drivers alike, creating blind spots and confusion. If buses are still parking on the streets, why did the school create the lot?
Every day when pulling out of the parking lot, I see open space in the bus lot, but there are still buses on the street. With the amount of traffic right when school ends, it seems like a waste of money and an unreasonable cut on student parking. Especially when the reason for the bus lot was to get the buses off the street to make it less dangerous. However, buses remaining on the street don’t make the system any safer.
It’s dangerous because students pulling out of the lot can’t see what’s coming from the right. The buses block visibility, and because there is no four-way stop, the cars from the left and right fly through the intersection. There have been multiple times this year where I’ve seen T-bone collisions narrowly avoided. It is one of the most dangerous places I have driven through. I have a feeling that it’s only a matter of time until there is an accident because of where the buses are parked.
The school should require the buses to park in the lot dedicated for them, or at least on a different part of the street so the only exit for students isn’t blocked. It doesn’t matter if it’s easier for the buses on the street to pull out because in the ten minutes, the buses sit there, it is very dangerous for all drivers leaving the lot. If the school required the buses to park in the lot, then the money spent on the lot and safety claims made would seem more reasonable.
This isn’t an isolated opinion—I’ve talked to many other drivers who park in the lot, and everyone shares the same frustration. The hesitancy and nervousness, blindspots and sheer danger of the exit cause drivers to drive more cautiously and this causes a larger traffic build-up. I strongly believe the school needs to do something about this because students shouldn’t fear leaving the parking lot after school.
