Universal parking access will not solve problemsScott Burns raised valid points in his opinion article regarding parking on campus — existing infrastructure cannot currently support the daily volume of traffic commuting to campus in their personal vehicles.  Many students have heard discussion of a multi-level parking garage, planned to be built across Highland Road from the LSU Student Union.  Highland Road is already one of the most congested traffic corridors in Baton Rouge, especially near LSU.  Now, is it wise to attract more cars to the core of campus?  Increasing available parking in the center of campus is analogous to increasing traffic lanes. We have already seen what has befallen cities like Los Angeles that hoped that this would solve traffic woes: it doesn’t.  Instead of smoother traffic flow, there are just more cars on the road because there are more lanes to accommodate them. A parking garage will simply enable more people to drive to campus, exacerbating an already daunting issue. Instead of investing the exorbitant amount of money in building a box of a parking garage, the University needs to seriously look towards alternatives. Money set aside for the parking garage could instead be spent on making on-campus living options more affordable or promoting biking and riding the bus.  Burns suggested that this is a reason students resort to living off campus and thus drive to school each day. I also encourage students to look closely at neighborhoods right near campus — there are a multitude of inexpensive, pleasant options. There are several apartment complexes and neighborhoods on the new bus routes or within walking and biking distance.  In fact, many students who live in such complexes choose to drive anyway, making parking for those who are forced to commute a hassle. While the prospect of rain and unfriendly drivers makes these options less attractive, they are certainly less stressful than chasing down a parking spot.Katie PetersonMarine biology and coastal environmental sciences majorPresident, ECO @LSU– – – -Contact The Daily Reveille’s opinion staff at [email protected]