Two weeks into the semester, the parking issue on campus has still not seen significant improvement.
Not even strategies like arriving earlier than normal have helped, as the influx of students means that parking lots will always be crowded no matter what time a student arrives.
Lots A through L are congested and even faculty and staff find themselves annoyed at the inconvenience the beginning of the semester has caused.
Most students will inevitably drop some, if not all of their classes, which somewhat appeases the parking situation, ‘though it is quite a dreary thing to hope for.
Students dropping their classes, that is.
Those who purchase $2 passes find it even more difficult to cope with the situation as some parking pass meters are continuously breaking.
While it seems like an easy solution to search the lots for a meter that is not broken, after the hassle of parking, many students do not want to deal with further complications.
Students may be at fault for some of these issues, but it is hardly the fault of students who actually show up early and still cannot find parking.
Just because the lot is crowded at certain times does not mean that all students are running late.
While some professors are lenient, one can only go so far in allowing for tardiness.
The lots fill very early in the morning, and now that the issue is recognized, students come even earlier, so sometimes coming as early as 8 a.m. does not guarantee a space.
While students commute to make it to 9 a.m or 10 a.m classes on time, students who showed up for their 7 a.m or 8 a.m classes have not left campus yet, adding further to the lack of available parking spaces.
Eventually, it appears as though some students may face the possibility of having to drop classes if they are unable to make it to class on time.
The construction of a larger lot will be beneficial, but at the rate it is going, more and more students will be late for class and suffering from frustration for a prolonged period of time.
Even when the new parking lot is finally done, that may just lead to for more student-enrollment.
And, unless the new students all walked or cycled, parking issues would remain the same.
Alternative parking is also not doing its job, as it still doesn’t adequately tackle the growing population at EC.
Waiting 30 minutes for a shuttle can actually hinder a student’s ability to get to class on time and it is a terrible inconvenience nonetheless.
Even if a student gets parking, they have to wait about as long as it would take to walk to campus from the Galleria for transportation.
Students would benefit more if they parked on the street and walked to campus.
Many students also end up parking in residential areas, where only residents with the proper placards may park, which lead
It seems that risking a parking ticket is better than risking an accident in the crowded lots filled with rushing cars and students decreasing in patience.
Students should find another way of getting to class, whether by foot, bike or bus until the situation at hand is better alleviated.
