The Lower Lot: Another School Day, Less Parking Spots

After working through countless hours of driver’s education and behind-the-wheel lessons, sophomores and juniors get to the exciting age of 16 ½, where being able to drive oneself to school seems like a rite of passage. However, the parking situation in the lower lot at Needham High has made that rite both stressful and dangerous for new drivers. The parking situation at NHS has been a topic of conversation for decades, but the issue is gradually getting worse as class sizes steadily increase. Needham High School owns the upper parking lot - reserved for seniors who pay for permits that cost over $100 - and has the privilege of using Needham’s Memorial Field parking lot (also known as the Lower Lot) for other drivers. Over the past few years, as sophomore, junior, and senior class sizes grow close to 500, the number of drivers wanting to park at the high school has become difficult to accommodate. Students are lucky to have access to the lower lot; even if it does not have enough spots for everyone who wants one, it is still providing parking for drivers not able to purchase permits. Because we, as students, cannot simply create more parking spaces, we suggest numerous ways to improve the parking issues at Needham High School for yourself and your peers. 

When interviewed, many students identified with the stress the junior lot causes, either from the new driver stress of parking itself or the anxiety that comes with wondering if you left your house early enough to get a spot. Some students, when unable to park, create their own illegal spots in the parking lot, resulting in a parking ticket from the Needham Police Department. Other juniors stated that they have been forced to park in the library or neighboring parking lots when the Lower Lot had already filled, similarly risking a parking ticket from the Needham Police Department because those businesses have “no interest or capacity” to allow new drivers to park. Any student walking through the Lower Lot after school has witnessed the bright orange tickets placed on windshield wipers of students who parked in these made-up spots. All students need to get to school, and for those who do not want to park illegally, there is the reasonable fear and anxiety of receiving a ticket from the seemingly only option for when there is no available parking.

The first and most obvious solution that we, as student-drivers, could adapt to is carpooling. Although sometimes difficult to make time in your morning routine to take a slight detour, or stressful to rely on someone else’s alarm clock going off, carpooling would greatly reduce the number of cars and drivers seeking parking spaces. See if you can pick up a friend or two who live down the street or around the corner, to help both them and yourself out. Carpooling is also a great way to get to school on time, since everyone in the car needs to agree on timing and can hold each other accountable. Carpooling might be difficult for a student who lives farther  away from the school, does not have neighbors who need rides nearby, or whose schedule does not align with those nearby. But for those who are able, carpooling is a good, easy, and a somewhat fun way to help with the parking problem at Needham High School.

Another clear solution to reduce the number of cars and drivers in the Lower Lot is to simply not drive. Although many are not able to if they live far from the school, students who live in close proximity to the building could walk, bike, or run! For those who live close to Needham High School, walking might even cut down on time, without having to leave early to get a “good” spot or having to spend time walking from Memorial Field to the front door of the school. Try starting the day with some exercise, helping not only your mental health and your peers, but also the environment! Live too far away from school to walk? If you have an extra driver at home, consider getting dropped off at the front entrance, also cutting down on drivers and cars in the lot. This allows students to still be driven to school without walking through cold weather and without taking up a parking space: the best of both worlds! 

With all of this said, even if some students adapted their getting-to-school habits, there would still be a surplus of drivers. Moreover, as more juniors and eventually sophomores get their licenses, the lot will fill earlier and earlier in the morning, allowing even fewer students to park. So, as spots become harder to find, we would like to remind all drivers to please continue to follow all rules and regulations around parking. If you make up an illegal space or park in a handicap spot without a permit, you should expect to get a ticket. Rules still apply in parking lots, and there will always be consequences for not following them. Mr. Sicotte reminds us that parking will always be an issue, even outside of school, and that not getting a spot “isn’t an excuse that a boss [or teacher] will likely accept for coming in late.” So, try to get to school early, spend some quality driving time with friends or family, or get some exercise on the way to school. However you choose to get to Needham High School, remember that we are very lucky to have any spots to park in (Wellesley High only has 60), and as always, drive safely.