Should Sutton High School Assign Parking Spots?

The Sutton High School student and teacher parking lot is the definition of chaotic at 7:30 am when school starts and at 2:00 pm when it ends. Honking, speeding, and whipping into or out of parking spots is a few of the things you will undoubtedly witness. This has stirred up a debate: should students and teachers have assigned parking?

There are many benefits to having assigned parking spots such as providing safety, certainty, and reducing tardiness. An article by Malena Koehan stresses that assigned spots in school parking lots would improve safety. They would decrease the possibility of crashes due to distracted driving, which can be a result of rushing to find a spot.

It also would help in cases of accidents, robberies, or suspicious vehicles being parked on campus because the school would have record of who parks where. Certainty is also a benefit that students would gain. Students would have an easier time when running late by not having to worry about where they need to park, hence improving punctuality for class.

Assigned parking is also preferred and very sought after . This is not just at schools but at apartment complexes as well. In a study ran by J Turner, over half of the responders said they would prefer and even pay for parking spots. Turner’s study shows how the majority of people would opt for reserved parking which would be an added bonus based on the fact that parents are already paying for a spot in the lot.

Though many desire a designated spot, there are a few downsides. For starters, there are some spots that would be preferred by students. These would be the spots that are right by the entrance because students would have a shorter walk into school or to their car. This is when some would rather it be “first come, first serve,” so that anyone could have a chance at attaining the “best” parking spots.

Another reason against reserving parking spots is that while it is more convenient to know where you will be parking, there is usually at least one spot open. The article “Assigned parking spots: Our Savior or doom?” highlights a big problem that is usually not taken into consideration-what if someone parks in the wrong spot? Though this does not seem like an issue it can cause havoc.

Imagine, a student in a rush to park being stopped by someone in their spot. This would likely cause this student to park in someone else’s spot, which will end up affecting all of the students parked in the lot.

Taking both into account, I feel that student parking spots should be assigned. In my opinion the pros outweigh the cons especially due to the fact that it will create a safer environment.

The question, should Sutton High assign parking spots, is not easy to answer and is up to personal preference. That being said, giving assigned parking spots a chance or trial run would not hurt and could end up being favorable.