Parking issues raise student concern
Blue. Yellow. Orange. Regardless of the color of parking pass, negative feedback and comments from many USU students has been voiced in conversations and gatherings across campus.
Hanna Ence, a sophomore majoring in business, owns a yellow parking pass, the cheapest parking pass at USU.
“It wasn’t what I consider cheap, but I figured it’d be worth it – I was wrong,” Ence said. “I am at least 20 minutes late to class because I drive around fighting to turn my blinker on before someone else does, even though the majority of the time I got there way before them. So I flip them the bird and continue on.”
While the situation in campus parking lots has upset many students, other free alternatives are an option for students.
The Aggie Shuttle is a free campus shuttle system for USU students. It stops frequently at apartments along 800 North and picks up students who live close to campus. Other busses en route will navigate below the campus and throughout Logan to service students who live further away.
Michelle Booth, an undeclared sophomore, doesn’t have a parking pass. She said she usually either walks to school or catches the shuttle as her primary ways of transportation.
“I figure I will ride the bus once the weather gets cold,” Booth said. “Walking gets the job done as of now. I didn’t even bother buying a pass because the parking seems like such a mess on campus. The shuttle stops right in front of my apartment. All I have to worry about is making it outside on time.”
Students who want to purchase a parking pass must be enrolled and working on at least one USU credit. If the student’s enrollment status changes, the permit is no longer valid.
Students who live off campus are able to buy a blue, yellow or Aggie Terrace permit. The parking permits can cost anywhere from $30 to $100.
“If I’m rich someday, I would like to buy the most expensive one,” Ence said. “But I will never be rich because I’ll fail college due to the fact that I’m never on time to class, because I’m stuck fighting for parking even in the blue parking lot.”
Where some students have a rough time finding parking spaces, others have better luck. For students who are willing to park early and walk a distance, the yellow pass includes parking at Romney Stadium and some at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. For those seeking convenience, the more-expensive Blue pass is valid outside of the Taggart Student Center, right in the heart of campus.
Ciera Cox, a junior studying communicative disorders, has the yellow parking pass. She said she has never had problems finding a spot but wonders what university officials will do in the future to fix the ever-growing problem.
“I’ve never had troubles finding a parking spot,” Cox said. “Maybe it is because I use the bus everyday, but I use my pass when I am in a rush. Maybe they could think about building more parking garages to accommodate more cars in the future.”
Ashley Kirkland, a sophomore majoring in animal dairy and veterinary science, said she has enjoyed her yellow parking pass while avoiding many problems.
“I will definitely be buying another one in the future,” Kirkland said. “Parking at the stadium and catching the shuttle has saved me so much time and money.”
The frustration seems to accelerate as the number of students enrolled at USU grows, Ence said. Not only are the students in need of parking stalls, the faculty and staff workers are also occupying stalls.
“I know it’d be hard to please everyone, so I sound like a little complainer, but why can’t they just have one general parking pass where you can park basically anywhere on campus instead of doing all the different colors and different prices?” Ence said.
As the university grows, increasing numbers of students with parking needs will require accommodation. Some students are trying to keep a positive outlook.
“I guess its not so bad when I’m the one snagging the spot to make it to class on time,” Ence said.
Officials at USU Parking and Transportation services could not be reached for comment before the time of publication.
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Twitter: @StaceyWorster