Any SVSU student knows the struggle of finding a place to park. Whether you commute or live on campus, the battle for a spot is universal and incredibly frustrating.
This seems to be an ever-growing issue, as more and more students are joining campus, and somehow, Lot D is half occupied by Brown’s construction crew. Were there no other areas where they could park other than directly in front of our library and science buildings?
This lack of foresight leaves us scrambling for a spot every single day. We’ve lost around 30 spaces in a place we couldn’t afford to lose any. Sure, on-campus residents can walk to class, but when the temperatures are dangerously cold and I live in the furthest corner of Pine Grove, I really shouldn’t have to walk a mile on unsalted sidewalks multiple times a day.
Housing even sends emails on these cold weeks that we should avoid walking outside if we can, and then we’re late to class searching for a spot.
Can I also mention that as a Pine Grove resident, I’m flabbergasted by the lack of spaces there? I have quite literally circled the lots after a late-night grocery run multiple times and found zero spaces to park overnight. I have to either take a Parkmobile or a Visitor spot, both risking a ticket. It’s a gross disservice to people paying thousands to live and learn here.
What makes this even more frustrating is the $28 million spent on renovating Brown Hall. I understand that it was out of date, but if this is going to continue to be a suitcase school where most students have a car, we need to realize that it’s just as out of date to not accommodate our parking needs.
To put $28 million into perspective, this would pay for around 3-5,000 parking spaces. Even a parking garage, which costs more per space, would provide over 1,000 spots. Instead, we’re left hunting for spaces with a fancier Brown Hall. It’s clear renovations are prioritized over accessibility.
It’s also important to note that $6 million was just approved to be spent on new housing—will parking be coupled with that? Your guess is as good as mine. What good is new housing (which gets the university more money) if we, they payers, still have no place to put our cars?
Students have expressed this frustration, but we’re met with little action. If SVSU can make room for Brown’s construction crew in our library’s parking lot, why can’t they make a base level accommodation for the students who pay tuition?
It’s interesting to add that our parking permits are free; is there room to complain if we don’t have to pay to park? Yes. Tons of students would pay a small fee to be able to park in closer spaces. Even a $20 per semester permit would make a world of difference to let students have better parking, especially in the winter months.
As I said, there are solutions to this. Overflow lots for the construction workers, new spaces entirely for students, or a paid permit could all help this issue. Something has to be done about this before we fall into full parking chaos.
