On October 24, the City of Alexandria began enforcing parking restrictions on the 2000 block of Scroggins Road between Quincy Street and Lynn Court, a popular parking area for ACHS students. The changes restrict parking to two hours Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with exemptions for residents.
This move came after residents of Scroggins Road presented a petition to the Alexandria Traffic and Parking Board at its September 26 meeting. The petition, which was signed by 80% of residents on the block, alleges that parking by students “makes it difficult for buses and emergency vehicles to navigate [the road].”
Eight residents spoke in official support of the petition, and four spoke against it. Notably, no students were present. The most common concerns by those who spoke in favor of the petition were that their driveways were blocked and students used their trash cans or littered in their yards.
“I can’t get in [my driveway]; I can’t go to the grocery store. They block my driveway,” resident Karla Caroll said at the meeting. “I just find it frustrating to not be able to park in front of my own house,” she added.
She continued by saying trash is often found outside her house. “I’m finding cigarettes in the trash, McDonald’s bags, old masks,” she said. “I wish [students] would be more respectful to the people that live there.”
Another resident at the meeting, Richard Long, disagrees. “I feel [students] should be allowed to park on the street . . . The students have been very cooperative. I don’t see any of the trash or anything people are talking about,” he said.
Senior Alison Avelar also believes the complaints were unsubstantiated and that she had “never” seen a car fully block a resident’s driveway. For Avelar, parking on Scroggins is the only option. “I take care of my five year old sister on some evenings. I drive to and from school, so I get back home on time, so my mother can go to work,” she said.
The other option for parking, Chinquapin Circle, is only accessible for students if they pay a $120 fee. Additionally, the concentration of students makes it an undesirable choice for many Titans. Avelar said, “[The Chinquapin Circle] has really bad traffic at the end of the day. . . Scroggins was one of the only public places where I could leave my car within a reasonable walking distance.”
Senior Aaliyah Royster also said driving is a necessary form of transportation for many students. “[Students] need to go to work, pick up [other] students, go to practice or take care of family after school, and the only way they can do that is by driving.”
As of October 24, signs have been put up and parking is limited. “I’m going to take the bus or get a ride from my parents,” said Royster. “It’s inconvenient to not be able to drive, but I have to adapt.”
Featured image by Chloe Yokitis for Theogony.
