Dear Editor,
On-campus parking is by no means a new subject of controversy, as it is frequently discussed amongst faculty and staff and the student body, the latter mostly in the form of complaint. However, the lack of ample parking and the steady increase of students attending SUU who drive a personal vehicle are having a greater effect than most know, especially to those (including myself) who live in off-campus housing surrounding the school.
The streets bordering campus where many students reside in shared home rentals have inadvertently become the overflow parking for the university. I live on 450 W just a few hundred feet away from the library, and my street, in particular, is always crowded with people who either don’t have a permit or weren’t able to find a spot in university-designated parking lots. This has created a huge annoyance for me, my roommates, and many of my neighbors who are not able to park in front of their own homes because everyone else at SUU is!
There are four of us that share our house, and we each have a vehicle (and we all have SUU license plates). We have a driveway that fits two vehicles, but parking on the curb is a hit and miss game because the usual random citizen who was late for class finds their way to the front of our house. I know I don’t own the street, but is it inappropriate to feel like I should be able to park in front of my own house that I pay for?
The first day of school is already an overwhelming time, but imagine my wonderful surprise when I was informed by one of my roommates that they witnessed someone love tap my rear bumper when my car was parked in front of my house. This lovely individual was trying to squeeze into a space that didn’t exist, hitting my car and blocking half my neighbor’s driveway with their rear end in the process.
Something needs to be done to manage the huge amount of student drivers that are becoming more and more inconsiderate of other people. If I had it my way, I would try and find a way to work with the city to make the streets closest to campus available only to residents and their guests via city parking permits and this would need to be enforced!
I’m tired of having no place to park near my own home and wondering each day what dings and dents might be waiting for me as a courtesy of some person in a hurry.
Submitted by: SUU Student Reyce Knutson
