On parking, again
With incredible regularity over the past
couple of decades, the Daily Nebraskan has
graced its pages with almost predictable
tirades about the state of parking on and
about campus.
All the standard complaints still apply.
Student, faculty and administration lots all
are overcrowded, for the most party messy
and unkempt, and essentially impossible to
use. But they all seem to be made increasingly
worse by another problem-on and near
campus, parking parking lots seem to be
dissolving into thin air.
Within the past few years a goodly number
of these disappearances seem to have taken
place.
Last year, you will remember, a huge
number of dormitory and commuter student
parking spaces were eaten up by the
construction of a recreation complex east of
Cather and Pound residence halls. This year
the trend is continuing with the abolition of
two staff parking lots, north of Love
Memorial Library and the Cc liege of Business
Administration, to make way for library
expansion.
Supposedly taking the place of these
convenient, on-campus lots, the University
has managed to add lots in the most remote,
inconvenient spots possible. Specifically, the
University has added to its parking resources
the untouchable State Fairgrounds lot and,
while less distant equally hard to use, a new
card operated and automated lot near the
Harper-Schramm-Smith residence complex.
In order to provide access to campus from
the distant Fairgrounds lot, the University
currently provides a shuttle bus service which
is, in some cases, adequate. It is not adequate
however, in sub-zero weather, when students
must wait between buses which frequently
break down in such weather;" It" is" not '
adequate when the fairgrounds lot becomes a
swamp due to heavy rain or snow. And it is
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not adequate after 6 p.m., as students with
night classes are not afforded shuttle bus
service.
But these inconveniences are only half the
story. In addition to the 952 Fairground
'"spaces there are 3,697 student parking spaces
" "on or near the city or East campuses. On city
campus there are 1036 spaces for commuter
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students, 1,312 spaces for campus residents
with an additional 555 spaces in the
automated card lot split between the two
groups. On East Campus, there are 634
commuter spots and 160 spaces for dormitory
residents. "
With some 12,000 off-campus students
contending for a little over 1,200 spots and
approximately 8,000 on-campus students
vying for about 1,500 spots, this spells
trouble.
This trouble comes in the form of the
"vulture patrol s"-student drivers hang
around filled lots waiting for some car owner
to abandon his parking space, Jter which
they battle each other for the honor of
parking their cars. All this is, of course,
dangerous and a bit foolish. And a terrific
waste of time.
In four years of University classes, the
vulture patrol has never ceased to exist,
except during low class attendance periods,
such as final examination weeks. Even so, the
administration and regents have ignored this
and other symptoms that indicate more
on-campus parking is needed.
It is easy to say that students should be
willing to park in the Fairgrounds lot if
adequate shuttle service is provided. Human
nature, however, would indicate that to
believe they would do so is hopelessly
idealistic.
In most cases, a student would much rather
wait and swoop down upon an evacuated
cn-campus spot than take the time to use the
Fairgrounds-shuttle system. The nearly
half-hour per day it takes to use the system is
a definite drawback, not to mention the
inconvenience involved.
The solution to the problem is, of course,
not simple. It will involve planning, value
reassessment, and mostly ingenuity.
Possible forms for solution must be
undertaken soon, however, if the problem is
not to come to the boiling point. It is
inconceivable that students will continue to
pay $15 per year to not park their cars much
longer.
Regents, faculty, administration and
students should begin work on this
too-persistent dilemma immediately. Whether
in the form of a multi-level garage, surface
parking or whatever, a plan must be drawn up
to solve what should be a simple matter.
And let's hope the solution begins soon, so
next year's Daily Nebraskan doesn't have to
write the annual Parking Editorial.
Jim Gray
thursday, november 9, 1972
page 4
daily nebraskan