Unquestionably, parking is a major problem for returning UR students due to a limited number of spaces and the expensive cost of parking passes. There are, however, both short-term and long-term solutions to growing concerns.
Parking permits, which can currently be paid for by cash, check or credit-card according to the reservation form, should also be made available by Flex or billing to the term bill. These methods would allow for students to pre-register for parking without the added stress of scrambling for cash during the short period between notification and the deadline.
Additionally, anyone who doesn’t have a permit for a particular area currently has to vacate lots by 7:30 a.m. This makes students have to wake up long before most morning classes begin in order to move their cars to remote locations. Changing the time to 8:30 a.m. would make most students’ lives easier, as they would be able to move their cars shortly before 9 a.m. classes and allow spaces to open up early enough in the correct lots.
The issues surounding permits are unfortunately only a small part of the problem. Parking spots anywhere on campus are sparse. A short-term solution to this could be reopening and widening the road behind the Fraternity Quad to create more parking spots close to the center of campus.
There also need to be long-term solutions to solve the parking crisis, such as erecting a parking garage where River Lot currently stands. This centralized location is better than options in farther reaches of campus. While the cost would be in the millions, the lot would easily pay for itself, with visiting sports fans paying to park there on the weekends. The garage would decrease damage to cars, as it could be easily patrolled and protected.
Parking affects student life so much that it cannot be ignored any longer at UR.
