Parking ramps could greatly improve MNSU students

Max Mayleben
Media Editor

Affordable and accessible student parking has long been a discussed issue among students. 

I believe that we, as the student body, should encourage the University to consider a parking ramp in the place of a parking lot. 

This would allow for more readily available parking for students living off campus, as well as income for the university in the form of parking passes.

For many off campus students, getting on campus results in one of three options. One such option is to walk to campus. 

This option is great when the weather is permitting, and shorts and a tee shirt are comfortable for the temperature. 

This option is not so great when the high for the day is below zero with a wind chill of negative twenty degrees. 

It is dangerous, and it leaves students either trapped off campus, or risking safety concerns on the way to campus.

The second option is to park in the free lot and wait for a shuttle bus to take you to campus. There are a few problems with this parking lot. 

The free lot is almost always full, and while there is a new kiosk set up that allows for overflow parking in the Orange lot, you must pay for that. Another issue with the free lot is its massive distance from the campus. There are many off campus students that live closer to campus than the free lot.

The third option left for off campus students is to purchase a parking pass at one of the closer parking lots. This is a good option for many, especially those living farther off campus. The problem lies with the limited number of available spots in favorable parking lots. 

The most sought-after parking lots are lot 16, which is only available for on campus students, lots one and two, which are encouraged to leave only for on campus students. 

This leaves off campus students with lot 20, which is a long walk from the Centennial Student Union, with a fair distance of the walk being outside.

A parking garage located closer in proximity to the campus would greatly impact those living off campus. 

It would consolidate the parking, giving students less of a walk. It would block out snowfall for many of the floors, leading to less of an issue when snow does fall. 

I believe that more students than before would purchase parking passes, if located in a convenient location.

I am not asking for this to be an immediately addressed issue, but it should be addressed. 

Parking for off campus students is constantly getting better, and I think this addition to the University would greatly enhance the off-campus experience for students.

Header photo courtesy of Flickr.