If I had a dime for every time I heard someone complain about University Lab School traffic, I’d have enough money to pay off a politician to do something about it. If someone lives or parks on the east side of campus, then they know what I’m talking about. From around 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. traffic is horrendous all the way down West Lakeshore Drive along with the chaos that is Highland Road. If someone lives in the East Campus Apartments, Greek House or any east campus resident hall, it’s virtually impossible for them to go anywhere during that time. Some have asked, “What genius thought that it would be a good idea to build a high school and elementary school on a college campus?” The fact is U-High has been a part of the University community since 1915. The Lab school didn’t move to its current location until 1953. More recently the school has gone through major renovations. In 2005 the high school building was renovated. In 2006 a new elementary wing was opened, and the elementary population doubled. “That’s when the problems started, about three years ago. We had isolated complaints from ECA residents,” said Gary Graham, director of Parking, Traffic and Transportation. Graham said the concerns were minimal and resolved very quickly. The problem was ECA residents were having problems getting into and out of their parking places at their apartments. He said there has been an increase in traffic because of the increase in the student population at the school, which has recently grown to more than 1,300 students. Graham said there aren’t any complaints in the morning because most University students aren’t up at that time. U-High has three pick-up areas for parents to get their children. One faces the Paul M. Hebert Law Center, one faces ECA on Raphael Simms Road and one is in the parking lot of the school facing the University lakes. “The physical reality is that you have a lot of people trying to leave a small space at the same time. It’s like Tiger Stadium on Saturday on a much smaller scale,” said Dr. Wade Smith, director of University Laboratory School.Smith also said they realize it is a problem. When asked if he thought a bus system would help the school, his response was, “Yes, to the extent that we could export more students quicker. We’re definitely not opposed to having a voluntary bus service.”     Another thing Smith suggested was a place to stage cars so that they wouldn’t be blocking the road. He also said parents get frustrated from time to time, and the school is doing the best they can. He said he appreciates the increase effort by Graham and the traffic patrol to help things run more smoothly. University students and recent alumni have a much different view on the situation. Kenny Hebert, recent LSU graduate, hated the traffic he had to deal with every afternoon. “Actually, I was almost hit by a U-High parent a year ago while walking to my car,” Hebert said.  Two brothers, who went to U-High, now have different perspectives after leaving U-High and didn’t want to be named for this column. One brother said the problem wasn’t as bad before the expansion. The other brother, who still has a connection to the school and lives in a Greek house near U-High, said he gets frustrated with how the traffic keeps him trapped at his house all afternoon. Another student who lives on the east side of campus noticed the problems as well. “It’s just bad from 2-3:30. You can sit in traffic for 15 or 20 minutes,” said Noah Miller, construction management junior.  He also said he wasn’t so sure if putting a high school and elementary school on a college campus was such a good idea. “It ends up having an effect on all campus traffic,” Miller said.My personal experience with U-High traffic has also been unfavorable.I used to work off campus down Highland Road.  My boss would often need me to come in the afternoons around 3:30. I would get out of class at 2:30 and wouldn’t be able to get to work on time. Traffic would back up from the intersection of West Lakeshore and South Stadium all the way to the Pi Beta Phi house down West Lakeshore.  It would take 10 to 15 minutes just to get that distance. As far as solutions go, I’m lost. Smith has some good ideas and is more than willing to work with the University to help the situation. But the situation isn’t going to change that much. U-High isn’t going anywhere. The school shares a special history and relationship with the University. For now those of us that live or park on the east side of campus are just going to have to live with the pain that is U-High traffic. —-Contact Matthew Gravens at [email protected]