Parking has been and it seems always will be a complaint on college campuses. With the start of classes comes backed up traffic and crammed parking lots. Many students are left frustrated and wondering when the problem of overcrowded streets and lots will be resolved.
Associate dean of students Thomas Bourgeouis said alternate forms of travel on campus and the enforcement of parking regulations are part of the answer to heavy traffic.
“The new Loop Route shuttle and the overall shuttle system [will help],” he said. “The zoning of parking and restriction of vehicular traffic in the interior of campus will help some with congestion.”
According to Mike Harris, director of parking services, the department has added a net gain of 250 parking spaces throughout the MSU campus.
“There are 169 new spaces at the Industrial Education Department building, 40 at the band hall and the remainder are at the Wise Center,” he said.
Harris said parking services is now focusing on their its new goals.
“We would like to see all gravel areas on campus converted to paved areas,” he said. “Another goal would be to start construction on a parking garage.”
Harris said he believes the campus is closer than ever to the construction of the garage, which would house approximately 1,250 spaces and possibly be located at the rear of the YMCA building.
“The parking garage would help alleviate some parking concerns as they relate to central campus,” he said. “The University is growing each year and parking must grow to accommodate this.”
Harris said parking services is viewed as a necessary evil.
“Parking is viewed mostly in a negative light,” he said. “However, we provide a service without which there would be chaos. If we don’t keep space open and something happens and an [emergency vehicle] can’t get to [the scene], it’s on us.”
Harris also explained a three-word philosophy concerning parking on college campuses that he has found to be true: the cheap, enough and convenient formula.
“You can get two of these, but you’ll never have all three,” he said. “You can have cheap and enough parking, but it won’t be convenient or you can have enough and convenient parking, but it won’t be cheap.”
Harris said most students don’t realize how expensive it is to build parking options on campus. Paved surface lots cost between 3,000 and 3,500 dollars per space and a single space in a parking garage cost somewhere between $14,000 and $18,000.
Junior industrial engineering major Adam York doesn’t think the commuter west parking zone is big enough.
“There is never anywhere to park in commuter west zone,” York said. “I drive around for 30 minutes looking for a spot and end up being late for class.”
Senior mechanical engineering major Trey East feels while parking services are doing all they can to improve the situation on campus, he has found taking matters into his own hands to be the best solution.
“I didn’t even bother buying a parking decal this school year because parking is so congested and traffic on campus is too bad,” he said. “In the time I drive to campus and park, I could have ridden a bike and saved 15 minutes on getting to class.”