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Could Boise State use more parking spaces?
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I’ve been going to Boise State for four years. I rode my bike to school for two years and didn’t have to worry about parking. My third year, I parked in the Brady Garage and this year I’m using a General permit.
Initially, I faced some challenges when trying to park on campus. It was difficult to find general parking where I needed it – near my classes. I was not able to arrive on campus just minutes before class started and find a parking space.
“It’s not bad, but there could be more spots,” senior Jean Margulieux said. “If you’re cutting it close for class, you circle around for a while, and there is no place to park.”
Jean uses a general permit and parks in the Towers general lot.
JC Porter is the office manager at Parking and Transportation. Porter said that a general permit, “allows you to park on campus” but “it doesn’t guarantee you a spot.”
A reserve permit on the other hand is more expensive and offers the convenience of a guaranteed parking space in a lot of your choosing.
“I park in the Brady parking garage,” Elaine Huth, a Boise State junior, said. “And now that I have that, parking is pretty convenient and easy.”
Parking and Transportation is a separate entity from Boise State and receives no student fees or state funds according to Porter. They do have access to grants and the funds they receive from selling parking permits. According to Porter, the department spends plenty of money to supply the students and faculty with parking and transportation services to make getting to and around campus easier.
Parking and Transportation spent $124,031 last year on the free shuttle service, and $78,071 for students and faculty to ride Valley Ride Transit for free. In the last three years, Parking and Transportation spent $25 million on the Brady garages and $13 million on the first phase of the Lincoln garages. These garages alone added an additional 1,500 parking spaces to Boise State Campus. Also available are the East Stadium General Lot, the Towers General Lot and Health Science Riverside Generals lots, there are two of them, along with numerous other general parking lots distributed all around the campus.
Check out the Boise State campus parking map for details.
It seems as if students can park successfully on campus. The challenge is figuring out what works best.
I came up with plan that works well for me as a general parking permit holder. I know that I have to get to campus at least 15 minutes before my class starts. I have a choice of two general parking lots that always have spots available.
The East Stadium lot and the Health Science Research lot on the west side of Capitol Boulevard. The free shuttle is what makes these parking lots make sense. Students can park their cars, wait until they see the shuttle, get out of their cars and jump into the shuttle and take it to a stop near class.
It works for me, and if students give it a shot, it might work for them.
STEVEN HANCOCK
Arbiter Journalist
