| "Pave Paradise, Put Up a Parking Lot" |
| 702 Brumbaugh Hall University Park, PA 16802 3/29/02 Parking Office Attn: Mrs. Jean Harris, Manager Eisenhower Parking Office University Park, PA 16802 Dear Mrs. Jean Harris: I am a student here at this great university of ours and, being as so, feel that it is my duty to inform you of the continuing parking problems of this campus. I�ve always felt that the Pennsylvania State University was more of a community than a mere school; a place where people can unite with one another and share their ideas, hopes, and aspirations for the future. The issue at hand, however, casts a dark shadow over these anticipations, and threatens the continuance of our community. And so, I do not simply ask for your help, but also beg it. A new plan must be put into action regarding the lack of parking available for students, faculty, and staff here on campus. With 40,828 students as of fall 2001 (University), and only 16,000 parking spaces available to them (Haarlander), there is quite obviously a problem. The parking offered to students is located in lots 80, 83, and 83N (Leonard). The lack of money available and the current plans for parking limitations are indeed the true source of this problem. The current budget allowance for parking expenses must be increased and the old regulations removed, in order for a substantial influence to this problem to be made. With this in mind, I propose to turn the football parking area, located in the massive field between East Halls and the stadium and next to lot 83N, into an actual parking lot. Previous solutions to this problem by the Parking Office were in good effort and helped somewhat, such as the creation and addition of parking garages. More spaces were made available through the creation of the garages, but with the increasing amount of students each year, they are not enough. Parking garages are also far more expensive then the simple act of leveling and paving the field in question. The area is roughly large enough to accommodate parking for the 106,537 people that attend a single football game (State). This area would be able to supply parking to practically all students by increasing the on campus student parking two fold. All three of the parking areas available to students are located in the northeast section of campus near East Halls, comprised almost entirely of freshmen. This area was chosen for a more pedestrian friendly environment, but the distance from campus is a concern of its own (Parfitt). The isolated area leads many to believe that the safety of students parking there is questionable (Logan). On top of this, it is a requirement by this institution to have at least 28 credits before a parking permit can become available (Leonard). This feat can only be achieved by a handful of freshmen, but a majority of upper classmen. The other freshmen who do not meet the requirement are forced to reside at the University with no means of travel aside from the pitiful excuse for public transportation known as the CATA buses. This means two things: 1) the majority of students that can obtain parking permits, the upper classmen, live on the opposite side of campus from parking, creating a substantially dangerous distance they must travel to reach their vehicles; 2) freshmen who live great distances from home will not be able to travel back very frequently, and it is a well known fact that many students become homesick in the first year at college. So, the lack of parking spaces available has a direct affect on the physical, emotional, and psychological wellbeing of the students. If more spaces are made available, there will be a safer environment to park in, and also the 28 credit rule can be removed and more students will be free to visit their families. A move like this would be viewed by the media as an act of priority by the University for the interests of its students. Another benefit of the implementation of this plan is that several upper classmen who need transportation for work study programs, which some majors require at Penn State, will be more likely to receive a parking permit. They will then be able to have their car available to them anytime, so that they can go forth and continue their education off campus. It should only be natural for the University to supply parking to these students who absolutely require their cars to complete their academic schedule. Requiring these students to travel up to and including 50 miles to internships and not allowing them to park on campus constitutes a lack of planning on part of the University. Some attempts by the Parking Office have been made to allow students without permits to park in meter spaces if the appropriate time has been purchased, but this still does not compare to having an actual permit (Leonard). However, even with the possession of a parking permit, there is no guarantee of finding a spot. This problem first occurred in 1989 when the University sold 2,200 permits to students, with only 1,749 available spaces (Meenekshi). Even now, students who pay $80 per semester are not entitled to a parking spot, and with the penalty of receiving a ticket between $11 and $15 for parking where one should not, there is indeed a lack of fairness to it all (Leonard). A protest to this very issue, conducted by the student group Non Sibi, occurred on April 26, 1996. They handed out free donuts and student newspapers to reel people in as they spoke of the problem of parking at Penn State. But with a solution based on the elimination of parking tickets completely, there was no chance that this would be considered by the administration (Ruoff). With the plan that I have brought forth however, this will no longer be a problem, and once again Penn State will be putting their students first and emphasizing the importance of education. Students are not the only ones who have parking problems; faculty and staff are also victims to the poor planning that has been done thus far for parking spaces. Much like the students, they have limited parking in distant locations. Although, there have been some attempts at increasing the levels of the HUB Parking Deck and the Nittany Parking Deck there is still a lack of spaces available (Cassi). There is an average of approximately 85,000 tickets given per year, and the faculty and staff consist of a reasonable percentage of this (Haarlander). So with this in mind, both the teaching and learning sections of this University have problems with parking. Faculty and staff however, have a problem that the students do not. They work at the University, and a lack of parking means that they cannot arrive at work, which means they cannot teach the students. This has a negative effect on the image that the University portrays, in that its professors are unable to give the knowledge that the students deserve. The media would tear the University apart with claims of incompetence, and declare that the students were not a priority. This is of course untrue, but it is a serious issue to consider and can be cleaned up with the implication of this plan. Overall, Penn State has a major problem concerning the interests of its students, faculty, and staff when it comes down to the issue of parking. The lack of spaces available gives the idea of poor planning and creates a negative image for the University. Therefore, it would be in the University�s best interest to implement this new plan that I have brought forth to you. With it there will appear a solution to this increasing problem, and it will destroy any attempts of the media to discredit the name of this fine school of learning. With your help, Mrs. Harris, we can remove any further problems with parking here at Penn State. We will eliminate the past mistakes that have been made regarding this issue, and will perhaps create a new way of thinking for any further problems that arise. And so, I ask for your help. Please, make what has gone wrong, right again. With appreciation, Michael Richard Martin Works Cited: Bose, Meenekshi. �Parking Problems.� Editorial Opinion. The Daily Collegian. 28 Sept. 1989: p. 10. Cassi, Sarah. �Parking Plans Add Faculty, Staff Spaces.� The Daily Collegian. 14 Oct. 1999: p. 1. Haarlander, Lisa. �Parking Puzzle.� Centre Daily Times. 16 Oct. 1997: Sec. A: p. 1. Leonard, Sean and Dani-dell Whitbred. Department of Transportation Services. <http://www.transportation.psu.edu/>. Logan, Rebecca. �Location, Cost May Cause Parking Problems For Students.� The Daily Collegian. 7 Oct. 1992: p. 4. Parfitt, Mark. �Master Plan Increases Campus Parking Woes.� The Daily Collegian. 21 Oct. 1998: p. 1. Ruoff, Kelly. �Student Group Protests PSU Parking.� The Daily Collegian. 26 Apr. 1996: p. 28. �State of the Art Athletic Facilities.� GoPSUsports. <http://www.gopsusports.com/Facilities/facilities.cfm>. University Budget Office. Undergraduate and Graduate/First Professional Fall Enrollment: 2001 and 2000. <http://www.budget.psu.edu/factbook/StudentDynamic/UGGREnrollSummary.asp? TableCount=3&YearCode=2001Enr>. |