A lack of available on-campus parking is a growing problem many higher education institutions across the world are running into, according to a recent report by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

In the report, the Chronicle reports students at Minnesota’s Normandale Community College arrive as early as 6 a.m. to secure spaces for their cars before their 8 a.m. class. Although Loftus and other students have had parking troubles at MSU, campus planning officials said MSU’s campus has plenty of available parking and can more than adequately meet the demands of faculty and students.

Assistant Chief of MSU Police Mike Rice said MSU has more than 24,500 parking spots, but there are significant land-use challenges ahead in terms of balancing parking space with new construction.

Rice said MSU’s parking services operates independently of the university and the state, covering its expenses through tickets and other sources of funding.

“The parking system at the university has a lot of things to consider,” he said. “The system may not be what a lot of people think of as perfect. … But given all the things that have to be considered, I think we’ve pretty well optimized it.”

Campus planner Steve Troost said a revised 2011 draft of the Campus Master Plan outlines possible locations for future parking system changes, including the relocation of more than 1,000 parking spots across from the International Center, near Shaw Hall and at Erickson Hall to the southwest corner of Red Cedar Road and Shaw Lane.

The relocation would involve the construction of a multi-level parking garage to hold those spots, Troost said. The open area left behind would be redesigned as green space. The area adjacent to Spartan Stadium also is another area the master plan’s draft designates as a potential future parking opportunity, Troost said.

Troost said the ultimate goal of the master plan is to consolidate parking on the edges of campus.
Special education junior Lexi Justice — who frequently commutes to Erickson Hall for education classes — said the proposed parking space relocation does not make sense.

“That’s a horrible idea,” she said.

Troost said the primary challenges when considering additional parking are faculty and student needs.

“There’s an adequate supply (of parking spaces),” he said. “The challenge you get into with parking is personal preference.”

In the near future, Troost said his office will examine ways to appropriately integrate additional parking with new facilities in the south academic district.