Over the past few years, there has been an increase of disruption to the New York City yellow school bus service for students at Cardozo due to many people illegally parking in front of the school building.
Every morning, thousands of cars full of students, parents, administrators, and staff drive past the entrance of Cardozo High School. With so many cars, parking can be a challenge around the residential neighborhood that surrounds the school. With so many in a rush every day, it’s easy to not notice the many “no parking” signs that flood the street in front of Cardozo. However, there’s a reason that these signs are present and exist.
Within Cardozo’s student population are individuals with disabilities, students who take New York City school buses to and from school everyday. Students with disabilities make up 15 percent of the school population, many of whom take the school bus. The illegal parking disturbance prevents these students from getting to and from school on time every day.
Assistant Principal of Instructional Support Services, Mrs. Korotki, is the person who receives the multiple complaints when students’ days are put on hold when the parking situation gets bad. She explained that there is “no concern shown” for the safety of students with disabilities.
“I am fearful that someone will be seriously injured trying to navigate the chaos of dismissal,” Mrs. Korotki said.
While some argue that the students can navigate around the cars, Mrs. Korotki also added that bus drivers frequently complain about the parking situation. “They cannot pull up to the curb as they are required to do,” she explained. “The buses are then double parked and the traffic becomes unsafe.”
The students that take the school buses are those diagnosed with physical disabilities, autism, and other disabilities. Some of these students are also at risk of running, which can further the margin of danger. While the community cannot control the students’ risk and behavior, they can help by simply following the laws and showing consideration for their fellow Cardozo students and peers.
According to staff, there have been several actions taken by the school to try and combat this ongoing issue. For example, the school safety agents have contacted NYPD to issue parking tickets when cars are blocking the bus lanes and preventing them from pulling up for students. In addition, administration has spoken to faculty at staff meetings on several occasions.
While staff members are responsible for sometimes parking in these marked off spots, it is not always the staff members who are blocking. Parents who are picking up or dropping off students in the morning also block these spots.
Mrs. Korotki said that every morning around 8 a.m., cars get stuck in traffic jams, as the school buses are stuck in the mayhem. When the school buses have to double or triple park to just drop off students to the school, it prevents the entire neighborhood of getting to where they need to be.
Moving forward, the school continues to push NYPD to issue parking tickets to those who are parked illegally.
While some value the comfort of walking a short distance to get to work or into the school building daily, it’s important to consider the signs, the law, and why the spots are off-limits during the school day. Staff stand by the notion that students who need the extra space and help to get to school on time needs to be acknowledged and established. Rather than possibly endangering students just for parking, prioritizing safety is critical.
“Adults need to allow enough time in their commute for parking legally and possibly having to walk a few blocks in order to ensure the safety of our most vulnerable students,” Mrs. Korotki stated.
