PARKING TROUBLES
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By Brian Elwell
Parking and traffic at Valley
has always been a hassle; from lines of cars coming from Monterey,
to taking up to an hour just to get off the hill, but now it’s
becoming a problem. With only so many spots and too many students,
it’s obvious that all students cannot have their own spaces.
With the end of the school year, many sophomores are turning 16,
they get their drivers license, and are starting their quest of
independence. Now here is where the problem comes in; there are
many students parking with no parking passes, and when some students
with parking passes come late there are no more spots to park
in. For the outrageous price of $160 for those parking passes
students should be able to secure a spot all the time.
Another problem is the amount of spaces in the senior parking
lot. With the new A/B schedule, by the time you come to school
on a late day, all the parking spots are gone. Maybe this is not
because of a lack of spaces, but under classmen parking in the
lot. Time and time again there are under classmen parking in the
senior lot and this disturbs many seniors, who can’t get
one of their spots when they arrive. An Anonymous Senior said,
“I swear the next time I see a underclassmen parking in
the senior lot I will start slashing tires.” I am sure that
this senior was joking but it correctly conveys the anger that
most seniors are feeling. If you are not a senior, DO NOT park
in the senior lot; the year is almost over, just wait for next
year.
With no new parking spots being built and Valley’s population
growing every year, it brings up the obvious question of how is
the school going to accommodate the higher traffic. Many wonder
why we can’t use the large dirt lot at the junior parking
lot. First, that is not our property, it is owned by South Valley
Christian Church. Additionally the City Council decided that if
Valley wanted stadium lights, then cars would have to stop parking
in that lot. The reason behind that is not only does Valley have
to clear the space for the church but also for environmental reasons.
Every time cars move in and out of the lot, it moves dirt. That
dirt gets on the street and gets washed down the hill.
Another suggestion is build a parking structure somewhere on campus,
but the obvious answer is that those structures cost millions
of dollars. Others have suggested numbering students spots, much
like they have numbered the teachers’ spots. Whatever the
school comes up with, they will have to decide where to compromise,
attendance or creating a lottery to decide who will be able to
park.
