As an upperclassman who drives to school, I deal with stress just trying to drive up the road to school. I only live one mile from Roswell. Realistically, I should make it to school on time almost every day. Due to this traffic issue, a four-minute drive turns into a 30-minute drive and leaving extremely early at 7:30 a.m. still puts me at school at a risky time for being on-time to class.  

Due to backed up roads, students and parents try to take shortcuts and drive through the surrounding parking lots and shopping centers. This adds to the issue with cars trying to merge back into the already backed up King Road.  

Two FCS police officers have been directed to the roads to help direct traffic in the mornings, one at the senior lot entrance, and one by the carpool entrance.  

Although these traffic regulations help the flow of cars in and out of the parking lots, they create a backup of cars down King Road. It can get backed up to the point where cars get stuck in the intersection, creating dangerous scenarios like potential accidents and an expensive traffic violation tickets. This is especially important considering half of the drivers are teenagers.  

Solutions are being used and help the flow of the schools parking lot, but doesn’t help the rest of the cars down King Road. 

Along with traffic issues, parking at school can be just as frustrating.  

To maintain a parking spot on campus, you have to fill out a survey, meet all requirements, and pay a $50 fee. This process is renewed each semester. When this survey is completed, they pick applicants like a lottery, and if you fill it out later you get put on a waiting list.   

Seems fair right?  

Although the process seems simple many students are still left with nowhere to put their vehicles. There are plenty of parking spots for most all juniors and seniors, but most are stuck on the waiting list despite the open spots people see every day.  

Some students only form of transportation to school is their own car. Parents and guardians aren’t always able to drive their kids to school every day.  It might seem logical to think that a way to solve this dilemma is by having students ride the bus. However, I participate in sports and many other students who drive do as well. There’s no bus transportation for sports or other extra-curricular activities, and   many parents/guardians are working and cannot pick up their kids. Also, Roswell has many students who work after-school jobs and participate in club sports in another location. The bus is an unrealistic option for many.  

Because there are so many student athletes and students who have after-school jobs and therefore more drivers than parking spots at school, this situation forces students to park in parking lots near campus which causes numerous issues such as being fined and towed.  Students are regularly getting into trouble and the school isn’t taking enough action.  

It is understandable that giving parking spots out can be a challenging and stressful job for the school but students brainstorming with administration could generate some great solutions that could be implemented.   

Every single day, I go to either my after-school job or volleyball practice off-campus and not knowing if my car is in a safe place or even possibly towed while I’ve been in school is beyond stressful. 

Parking on campus is a privilege, but staff should take students’ schedules and home life into consideration when issuing parking passes. Road expansion on King Road as well as increased Fulton County Police in the mornings and afternoons would greatly help with the traffic problem.