With a small garage and narrow streets, parking at Seattle Prep is no easy feat.
Every year Seattle Prep students with carpools apply for a spot in the garage hoping to have the ability to leave their house and sleep in a little later. With 190-200 applicants, only half are chosen to get a spot.
The students first considered are those with long-term medical consideration or if their house is more than 30 miles away. If students have a carpool that has a larger number of students, their chances of getting a spot are more likely.
When the Dean of Students Andy Hendricks was asked how many students in a carpool would secure you a spot he said, “…from 6-7 students, if you had 4 or less you had about a 30% chance of getting a spot.”
The students who do not fall under these requirements are put into a randomizer and are chosen from there.
Since a convenient parking spot is so desired, there have been issues carpool legitimacy. Hendricks discussed enforcing the possibility of students lying on how many students are truly in their carpool. “Those who don’t actually bring the students they registered for, are asked to park outside of the garage and the next person in the randomizer will take the spot.”
Luckily, for those who don’t not have a spot this year can park at St. Patrick’s Church where Prep pays for parking spots. Frank Dixon, a junior at Prep, applied for a parking spot this year, but was not chosen. He and his sister leave from Queen Anne at 7:15 and get to St. Patrick’s Church at around 7:35. When asked about the convenience of parking in the morning he said, “the only annoying thing about parking at the church is having to walk up from the church, but it is nice because my car doesn’t fit well in the tiny garage sports.”
Although it may take some walking to get from the parking lot to school, the St. Patrick’s Church is a convenient place to park while still leaving at a reasonable time. Otherwise, Hendricks suggests getting to Prep before 7:30 for parking in the neighborhood, however the earlier you are, the closer your spot will be to school.
Parking, especially on Capitol Hill, is a challenge due to limited garage space and high demand. Carpool size and distance from home can make or break your chances of getting selected for a spot. This forces students to rely on options like parking at St. Patrick’s Church or leaving earlier to park in the neighborhood, which can be challenging. Ultimately, the demand for parking at Seattle Prep continues to outstrip the limited garage spaces available, so students must remain resourceful in their quest for a convenient school commute.
