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With the move to the new school, WHS students also received a new parking lot. The new parking lot is fairly similar to the old one in size, with the exception of 25 fewer spots. Both lots also include two exits.
However, one fundamental difference between the two parking lots is the layout and how students enter.
“The old school had a real long drive with no speed bumps, so kids would constantly go flying from the front to the back parking lot by the tennis courts,” Dean of Students Scott Parseghian said. “When kids were running late or whenever there was a lot of traffic, people would speed.”
The new parking lot, on the other hand, has a much shorter drive that includes a sharp left turn every driver must take before entering either of the parking lots.
There have been an estimated six car accidents since students first began driving in the new parking lot almost two years ago. Parseghian believes accidents occur much less frequently in the new parking lot. He attributes this decrease in accidents to the parking lot’s design.
“I think the corner slows students down,” Parseghian said. “They have to slow down to get into the junior or senior parking lot. As far as I’ve seen, that has definitely cut down the speed.”
Currently, the administration is considering adding speed bumps which would force students to slow down further. However, even with those additions, Parseghian feels that sometimes accidents are inevitable.
“It’s a lot of cars in a small area going in and out at the same time, so there are going to be problems,” Parseghian said.