COLUMN: More traffic, more problems

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Parking on campus sucks. You know this, and I know this. Everybody knows this and talks about this and complains about this. That is the situation here at Utah State University, and there won’t be any changes to that anytime soon.

This is a problem that is exacerbated by the traffic on campus, particularly the morning traffic on Aggie Boulevard. When the vehicles on the road are backed up to the intersection on Aggie Boulevard, the problem is no longer that there isn’t enough parking, but that there are too many people choosing to drive rather than using the many other options available.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed a lot of traffic on campus, especially in the morning. Cars line the streets wherever parking is allowed, as close as possible to the campus. The line to get into the parking terrace on Aggie Boulevard stretches all the way to the intersection. And then there are vehicles that suddenly pull off to the side to drop passengers off close to their buildings.

All this happens during the height of student activity too. So, crosswalks are constantly flooded with distracted and tired students. They have the right of way, causing vehicles on the road to wait until there is a small enough break between pedestrians to pass through.

Add all of this together and we have a recipe for stress, frustration and tardiness. Not just for the students and faculty in the cars trying to find parking where there is little to be found, but for the pedestrians dodging cars while walking to class and for the students riding the buses, wondering if they’ll get to their stop before or after their class starts.

That’s the real problem with the limited parking on campus: the simple act of driving to the university in the morning becomes an ordeal that affects more than just the individual in the car — it affects everyone else who happens to be along that road as well.

Is driving to campus really worth the effort? Instead, you could park at the stadium and ride the Aggie Shuttle that cycles through every 10-15 minutes. You could also walk up the hill, carpool with friends/spouses or take the city buses. These alternatives might be far less stressful than starting the day sitting in traffic and searching for a parking spot while avoiding pedestrians.

Look, I understand the necessity of driving to campus, especially with jobs in the mix. It’s hard to juggle classes and work while adding the time requirement it takes to commute to and from campus. But I believe the amount of traffic around campus could be greatly reduced if driving was reserved more for emergencies than for daily travel.

—miranda.lorenc@gmail.com

@Miranda_lorenc

Miranda is a biology and English double major. When she’s not in class, she’s editing for the Utah Statesman, or managing Aggie Radio Theater. In her rare spare time, she creates costumes to wear at geek-related events.