Campus Parking is an Abomination

If you’re a commuter, you know how dreadful it can be to find a parking spot. I attend a relatively small (10k students) public university, and if I don’t show up at least an hour before each class then I know I will be late. New buildings continue to gobble up existing lots. There simply isn’t enough gravy to go around.

The worst part is that there is really nothing that can be done about it. It’s science. Until we devise a way to make matter smaller while retaining its shape, cars will have no alternative besides parking higher or parking lower. Unfortunately, the amount of time it takes for a project such as a parking garage is too long. With even more parking off-limits during the construction process, the already tenuous pact schools have with the dropout and truancy rate of commuters would shatter to pieces.

That’s right. If some of you don’t miss school, there simply won’t be enough parking spots. Even better, if some of you were not forced to park illegally, the school would lose one source of revenue. I remember in high school, we all had assigned spots. (I am not aware if any colleges do this, but if you are aware of any, please let me know.)

Here are a few of my ideas to make campus parking a little better:

• Based on class schedule/building location, give assigned parking spaces for different days. That is to say, one spot for MWF and another for TR (Or however your school’s schedule works.) Students would determine this on their own, and submit the requests with a nominal fee.
• If your classes are finished and you are parked in a good location, you have 15-30 minutes to move your car. There will be no more sitting in the car and talking on a cell phone/making out with your girlfriend while I sit there waiting, hoping, begging you to move your car so I won’t be late to class.
• Remove half of the otherwise unnecessary student help from all other departments and employ them in a valet capacity.

What are YOUR ideas? How has your university surmounted this?