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INUVIK
The East 3 School parking lot is chaos and traffic signs need to be put up before somebody gets hurt, said resident Marjorie Baetz.

Parents say the parking lot at East 3 School is chaos, especially at lunch hour, because of a lack of signage. - Miranda Scotland/NNSL photo

When the school first opened in September, police were there directing traffic, Baetz said. But now with the RCMP no longer directing and no signs in place, the parking lot is a free-for-all.

"There are accidents waiting to happen," she said. "I'm terrified that some kid is going to get hit."

Richard Knight, regional superintendent for the Department of Public Works, said he expects traffic signs will be in place in January. There is currently a tender out for directional signage for the parking lot and also for signage inside the building, such as room names and numbers, he added.

"We were really trying to get the building completed," Knight said, explaining the delay in putting up traffic signs. "The signage comes along kind of at the end because it's on top of anything else that's in there at the moment. It's on top of finishes that may have been incomplete."

Still, Baetz said the signs outside should have been put up before the doors opened. It's embarrassing, she added.

"How many millions of dollars they spent on this school and they couldn't have taken the time to post crosswalk signs or post speed limit signs or post one-way signs," Baetz said.

Resident Naokah Mistaken Chief echoed Baetz's comments. Mistaken Chief, who is at the school three or four times a day to pick up or drop off her children, said the situation is unsafe and wastes time.

The other day, she said, traffic was backed up onto the street because a car stopped in front of her and she couldn't pass it because the area was too narrow and cars were coming from the other way.

Mistaken Chief said the parking lot desperately needs one-way signs and no parking signs.

"I just don't think it's a safe way to have traffic," she said of the current situation. "With that many vehicles and kids, something else should have been thought out or signs should have been posted within the first week of school."

Also, people need to be more cautious when driving in the parking lot, Baetz added. She said she cringes whenever she goes to pick up her daughter because people don't always watch where they go.

"I see people scooting left, right and centre when there are kids trying to cross," she said. "I get frustrated because I come to a complete stop when I see kids standing on the corner. I mean they're tiny and if you're in a heavy duty vehicle ... the likelihood of a kid being run over or getting caught on the tail gate, it's waiting to happen."

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