Jaylen Carr – Editor-in-Chief
This semester, I have noticed new facilities open, new hours for the Adanti Student Center, and a new interim president in charge. Still, the university has yet to tackle one of the campus issues: parking.
I feel like every year, there can be an opinion written about it because it has never improved. This university is commuter-heavy and does not have as much parking as it should.
“Twenty-nine percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated or -affiliated housing, and 71% live off campus,” according to a 2022 U.S. News article.
When I started at the university three years ago as a transfer, I did not know where to park. Of course, I wanted to be closer to certain buildings, but I did not know which parking spot worked best.
Most of the parking garages are so far away from campus, and if you were running late one morning, there is no chance of you arriving on time.
To help improve the parking on campus, they can add student parking near the TE-8 building. I understand the university has parking for graduate students in that area, but adding more parking spaces can help students get to classes quicker.
Most students’ courses are in Engleman Hall, near the proposed parking area. Also, a walking trail leads to other buildings like Morrill Hall and Jennings Hall if a student does not have an Engleman.
Adding more parking for undergraduate students will help parking garages like the Fitch Street and Wintergreen Avenue garages, which are always busy, keep traffic down.
Allowing students to park at the bottom of the Adanti Student Center can be a good option for students because the student center is an attraction for students. I understand that because sometimes the university has special guests, so it may mean blocking the needed spots.
“All vehicles operated or parked on campus at any time must properly display an SCSU parking decal. Vehicle owners and operators must register their vehicles at the University Police Department,” According to the Inside Southern website. “A parking decal is no guarantee of a parking space. Each vehicle operator is responsible for finding a legal parking space. Lack of space is not a valid excuse for violating any parking regulation.”
When a parking space has reached total capacity, it is the students’ fault and they should not park in an area that violates the parking regulations.
The university prides itself on making sure students get a decal because that allows you to park in the designated but making more accessible parking for students will help with this issue of students parking in areas that they should not.
The university does a great job having transportation options for students such as the shuttle bus and U-Pass which is a transportation pass for undergraduate students that is valid for trips during the semester on mass transit services statewide according to the Hoot Loot website.
These options help students get to and from their designated parking garage or residential hall to their class.
The parking improvements can help students get to class quicker and more conveniently. Adding more options for students can help with traffic in certain garages currently.
