The university doesn’t seem to believe that we have a parking problem, despite rising complaints in recent years. Instead of adding parking, they’ve taken away 109 parking spaces in a year that that saw the university experiencing yet another large incoming class.
On one hand, ACU has still not provided adequate parking for the rising numbers. On the other hand, it looks like the ACU Police Department is trying to solve this by implementing a new tracking system–but does this mean anything will happen?
Moreover, we recognize people simply don’t like parking farther away and they don’t like walking. Sure, that sounds lazy, but it’s one thing to be consistently late to a football game; it’s another to be consistently late to class. We understand that problems will arise during the busy times through the semester, such as football games and homecoming, but on a typical Wednesday morning trying to get to a 9 a.m. class it can be completely frustrating to many students.
Who knows? Maybe Starbucks will benefit from all the students who turn to coffee to survive their newfound sleep deprivation.
Not only this, but students have resorted to parking in dirt lots to avoid paying for a permit that won’t serve much purpose. The addition of Dillard took away an entire parking lot that was used for off-campus students and repurposed it into a lot specifically for residents of Barrett and Dillard.
These are residents who view that lot as their last resort. Last year Dillard residents would rather park on the street closer to the building rather than a dimly lit lot farther away.
This year, 18th Street already is packed with cars. Even though many students live in this area, it is also a residential neighborhood. In past years it has been used as a last resort while this year cars are parked bumper-to-bumper on side streets that are not university property.
Yes, the university has good retention numbers, but that goes with the higher student numbers and lower parking spaces. Parking is a growing problem on campus, especially this year, and something should be done about it.
