Everybody knows that we have a parking problem here at UB. Some might say that it is useless to even bring the subject up. They would argue that the issue is a given and will never change, so students are just going to have to deal with it.
The reality, though, is that parking is one of the biggest problems facing our ever-expanding campus, and as long as things remain that way, the topic deserves to be discussed.
The fact that cars line up in the student parking lot near Capen Hall to follow departing students to their cars is a clear indication that the problem is out of control, not to mention a little creepy and stalker-like.
On Wednesday, The Spectrum ran a column reporting that approximately $2,402,639 is spent on parking each year. Parking on campus has not gotten any easier or convenient in the past four years, so the students deserve to know what that money is being spent on.
Unlike at private schools, where students often pay large sums for a simple parking pass, UB students do not pay directly to finance the parking situation. However, the university does use part of the $988.00 Comprehensive Fee that undergraduates pay to maintain and improve parking lots, shattering the illusion of a free parking pass.
It's about time that students got what they are paying for, which, according to UB, is "convenient and orderly parking throughout campuses."
It is also illogical that despite an overwhelming student-to-faculty ratio, the faculty here has a better parking situation than the students. After all, the students are the ones paying tuition, and the faculty members are the ones getting paid to come here.
The editorial board does not want to simply rehash an old complaint. Instead, we'd like to offer some potential solutions.
First, the students should be allowed to park in lots like Furnas and Jacobs A, which should be shared lots – used by both students and faculty. Lots like the Stadium and the Special Events lot should also be shared.
Second, the university should consider turning one of the lots close to the academic spine into a parking garage. It might not be the most visually pleasing thing in the world, but then again, that would make it fit in with the rest of the campus. It would be expensive to initially build and maintain, but it would also wipe out the cost of constantly having to plow the lots during the winter.
Maybe then we wouldn't have the creepy line of cars waiting for students to leave class near Capen Hall.
Third, the university should consider limiting the ways in which freshmen can use their cars. Many other colleges across the nation have similar restrictions. Also, students who live on campus should be restricted to keep their cars in their designated lots between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The student leaders in positions of power at the Student Association and the UB Council should push administrators to address this issue. Seniors at UB have heard the same old things for four years about the parking problem on campus. It's time for change.
