Intersection Issues

Story by Hunter Darling »

The intersection between the high school and Eudora Suburb Meadowlark has been a cause of accidents and concern for many years.

Claire Ewy, Soph., was involved in a no-injury accident and she believes that the intersection creates a problem for the school that needs to be fixed.

“I think the intersection is a problem and there are too many accidents in front of the school,” Ewy said.

She partly blames the accidents on heavy traffic.

“People are OK drivers,” Ewy said, “but when it comes to stressful situations they miss something.”

A habit that many students have developed is making a right turn to go into Shadow Ridge, where they find the nearest cul-de-sac and turn around to avoid turning into busy traffic outside of the parking lot. Senior Haley Hoffmann lives in that cul-de-sac.

“Last week, I was…held up in my driveway trying to get out and over 10 cars kept driving and wouldn’t give me time to leave,” she said.

Hoffmann also mentioned that it affects her neighbors.

“What the school does not know, or many students, is that a house next to mine actually is a daycare,” Hoffman said. “Kids are there pretty frequently…and it could be dangerous.”

She also recognizes that despite the lack of a clear solution, she is willing to work toward one.

“I feel I don’t really know a good solution,” she said, “but I’m so ready to learn anything to fix it.”

Principal Ron Abel thinks the best way for students to make a change is to present the problem to the school board, the city commission and eventually the county commissioner.

“What people don’t understand is Douglas County [controls] that road,” Abel said. “They are the ones that control what work is done.”

Abel pointed out that students could take action in the future.

“I think that there are three agencies you could take your complaints to, the school board, County Commissioner, and City.”