The Vanguard Walking best resolution for parking problems

walking best resolution for parking problems
November 20, 2006 —



Editorial
Campus growth over the last several years has served as a catalyst for a number of positive changes to this University, transforming what once was considered solely a commuter school into a more traditional institution. However, with these positive changes there are challenges, and perhaps no such challenge has been as widely discussed as the issue of whether or not there are too few parking spaces available for students.

Earlier this semester, the University completed an in-depth parking study in which it recorded the number of spaces available at five different times of the day over a two-week period. The results of this study suggest that the aforementioned concern is a bit exaggerated, particularly when it comes to commuters.

The numbers indicate that, no matter what time of day, it is highly unlikely a commuter student would be unable to find an available parking space. Of course, the catch here is that these available spots are not what most would consider premium spaces. For example, the numbers confirm what most have already noticed in that parking in D-lot (in front of Science East) is next to impossible. However, the numbers also show that at no time during the study were there ever fewer than 100 spaces available in adjacent E-lot. The bottom line, then, is that parking is just a short walk away.

And walking truly is the main issue here, as some students seem to have a problem understanding that it is an unavoidable part of college life. If almost any student from any other major university would happily trade for the walk some SVSU students complain about, then many of us should take a step back and look at the bigger picture.

What has become of us if we cannot stomach a five-minute walk from E-lot to Science East? Just how far have we digressed if we complain about having to park in the back of J-1? Surely we cannot expect to be able to pull right up alongside our classroom every day, so just where exactly do we get off complaining about parking at all?

Worst yet, the parking complaints almost always come with suggested solutions that are generally as poorly thought out as the complaints themselves. One of the most common is to eliminate meter parking - a move that would free up all of six spaces in D-lot. What most fail to realize, though, is that those six spaces would be gone just as quickly as the other 230 spaces in that lot and essentially accomplish nothing.

In the end, while parking is a challenge from time to time (particularly for those living in some of the Village apartments), it is a challenge that can be overcome with a little patience and a little walk. We should count ourselves lucky that the University does not charge for residential parking or forbid freshman from having cars (both concepts are typical policy at other universities). If it did, we would go from paying nothing and complaining about parking to paying several hundred dollars. And complaining about parking.