As the school year progresses and the temperatures drop, some Jones students have decided to drive to school, but they face a significant issue: parking.
Without an allocated parking lot students are forced to look across the Chicagoland area for a place to put their cars.
“There is very little accessible parking within the Jones area, even within a 20-mile distance,” said Penelope Martinez ‘24. “And of the places that do offer parking, it’s always crazy expensive.”
This presents an even bigger problem for the economy. Students are facing the brunt of the fall of the American economy and parking is an obvious indicator of this failure of the US government.
“At one of the lots near school, [they] only offer their ‘Gold Standard Premium Extra Plus’ deal before 8 AM,” said Martinez. “I was forced to pay $600 just for that one day, where’s Biden when you need him.”
While these issues do not impact all students, they are causing problems for those who choose to drive to school.
“I have a Rolls Royce that daddy bought me for my 16th birthday and I really appreciate the convenience but the costs make it difficult,” said Bernard Callahan ‘24. “I feel almost forced to not drive to school whenever I see the prices that the lots near Jones are charging.”
Many students look to avoid these problems by taking advantage of the very reliable and comfortable city public transportation.
“Most of my friends and I take public transportation to school and it’s super convenient and always on time no matter what,” said Genevieve Milton ‘25. “Once the train was still a stop away and running late so the train conductor went 70 miles per hour and made it on time.”
These students also appreciate the far cheaper costs they face by taking public transportation as opposed to driving.
“I only have to spend like 50 to 100 dollars every day because the Ventra card keeps eating my cash, which is no big deal,” said Milton. “If I drove to school I would have to pay for parking, which would definitely get way too expensive.”
While many aspects of public transportation appeal to students, a car stands out as a necessity to some.
“Before I had my license, my mom had to drive me to school every day,” said Callahan. “I live in the loop where buses and trains can be really spotty, so driving is the most consistent way for me to get to school every day.”
Though there are many positives of public transportation, students still have to worry about the weather.
“Recently the rain, cold, and snow have been stacking up and it’s a difficult trek to get to the train some mornings,” said Milton. “I remember one day there was hail the size of footballs and the temperature was around -50 but I still had to make that walk but at least I’ll have good dad-lore one day.”
There is also the issue of local traffic that driving students face, making it a difficult trip even before they see the price tag.
“Some days I have a very treacherous drive,” said Callahan. “There has been a lot of ice on the ground and sometimes it’s so cold the engine doesn’t even turn on, and I still have to pay over $350 for parking at the end of the trip.”
For students who do take public transportation, they do acknowledge that something needs to be done about the parking situation.
“I think Jones should renovate the new building to add a parking lot, it’s the least they could do,” said Milton.
