Students and teachers are well-adjusted to Skyline’s parking nightmare, but winter conditions and near collisions still phase drivers awaiting the estimated new school—and lot—completion in 2026. 

The parking lot, which had been able to hold the cars of the entire school’s drivers before construction started, is often criticized for lacking space, causing many to park on Frontage Road. This is unfortunate, as the area has been the site of several near accidents. Senior Pax Ferguson reported that they have had several cars almost back into them while driving down the integral road. 

Thomas Porter, Skyline teacher and coach of over two decades, also expressed the danger of parking on Frontage. “After they park their car, they, a lot of times, don’t look to even cross Frontage Road. They just come out of the side of their car and then—BAM!—they’re right there when a car’s coming down,” he explained. This is exactly what happened to Porter recently, causing him to have to slam on his brakes and skid to avoid hitting a student who came out of nowhere. He added, “Luckily, I’m pretty chill when I come in because I know kids will do that, but if someone came in and they were driving really fast down there, they probably wouldn’t have been able to stop in time and would’ve hit them.”

The dangers of parking on Frontage Road could be avoided if students took advantage of the rented parking at the church on Craig Way. “Nobody uses it. They just see it as being too far away,” Porter said. While the idea of the further distance may not be accurate, it doesn’t change the situation. This issue should be resolved with the added space of the fully constructed parking lot in upcoming years. 

Danger of collision is prevalent away from Frontage as well. Porter mentioned that the faculty parking lot was another particularly dangerous spot, especially in the morning. He said, “Students are crossing the parking lot coming from the upper parking lot. There’s no way to funnel the students into one area; they all just come across like a herd of sheep.” Additionally, the one way street can be a collision zone if used incorrectly. An anonymous faculty member said, “I have nearly been hit several times from people driving the wrong way.”

Apart from specific locations, winter conditions provide increased hazards to the already chaotic parking situation. “People seem to forget how to drive,” Ferguson stated. “The entire parking lot is covered in ice and you never know how someone’s going to be doing in those conditions.” Similarly, Porter illustrated how new and old drivers alike often seem to not follow the rules of the road as closely when the road is harder to perceive. This can lead to more close calls as the season progresses. 

In addition, Senior Nadia Mellem expressed how winter conditions make parking itself more challenging, even when there’s no one to hit. “Parking gets a lot trickier during the winter because cars can get stuck, slide around, and the lines are hard to see, so a lot of people aren’t parked in the right spots,” she explained. This problem is universal for Utah drivers everywhere, but the additional issue makes the winter season more unbearable for Skyline drivers.

Aside from all the issues, there are a few upsides to the parking situation. Ferguson’s favorite part is the new left turn only section, which “makes getting out much easier.” They hope construction won’t eliminate this convenient turn. Something that should also remain after construction, in Mellem’s opinion, is the parking lot’s “proximity to the school.” 

While there are a few good things about the parking situation, it is still largely disliked by the student body. Mellem said, “Skyline parking is really messy and I am glad I won’t have to worry about it anymore after I graduate.” Unfortunately, the situation is unlikely to get better until construction is complete. “I still am scared to death that someone’s going to get hit hard enough that they’re gonna get injured,” Porter expressed. “We’ve been lucky so far but I can guarantee that most drivers […] will all say that they’ve had a close call.”