There are many things students enjoy about MSU’s campus, but most agree parking is not one of them. For commuters and visitors, parking can be a horrendous ordeal. Lots fill up quickly and cost too much money, leaving many students frustrated with MSU’s lack of spots available on campus.
Although many students already are frustrated with current parking availability and prices, officials from the MSU Parking Office recently announced the lot next to Shaw Hall, or Lot 37, and the Bessey Hall ramp will be removed. Following the completion of Shaw Hall’s dining facility, Lot 37 will be turned into “green space.” The demolition of the Bessey Hall ramp also will be turned into “green space” because the area is on a flood plane, making new developments in the area implausible.
It is encouraging to see the parking system embracing a pro-environment stance by adding more green space to MSU’s campus, but in doing so, the system is inconveniencing a number of MSU students and professors. Removing these lots means less parking for off-campus students and professors who rely on driving to class daily. It is fair to remove these lots to create green space, but the parking department should consider building more convenient parking lots or expanding convenient parking garages and lots that already exist.
The MSU Parking Office is trying to offset the number of spots lost by these construction projects by renovating the Jenison Field House parking lot, or Lot 67, and the Life Sciences Building parking lot, but these lots are located on the perimeter of campus, making it inconvenient for students to park here. The lots being removed are located in the central parts of campus, decreasing students’ and professors’ travel time to classes. This will feel most inconvenient when the winter season hits and students and visitors are forced to walk longer distances to classes in freezing weather.
It also is displeasing that visitors and prospective students who come to MSU for the first time have to struggle to find a place to park. Traveling around campus can be difficult to maneuver for first-time visitors, so forcing these people to park around the perimeter of campus and attempt to navigate their way to campus landmarks will be aggravating, leaving many frustrated with the layout of this campus.
Of course, MSU promotes a “go green” mantra, but is this proposed “green space” necessary for a campus that already has a reputation for its strong environmental commitment? Most students who drive on campus most likely would be supportive of more parking in convenient locations rather than an increase in green space.
Parking is one of the most frustrating things about MSU’s campus for many, and decreasing the number of parking spots in the central part of campus will be bothersome for students and professors who rely on these spots daily. It’s promising that the parking system is attempting to offset the number of spots lost by renovating other lots, but the system should consider making more convenient parking available for MSU.
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