Consider this situation.
You wake at 9:30 a.m. because you have class at 10:40 a.m. You get out of bed and prepare for school. You get in your car and depart at 10 a.m.
After sitting in traffic for 15 minutes, you finally motor down Nicholson Drive and assess the parking lots.
After ignoring the South CEBA Lot, you notice the South Stadium and West Stadium lots are full, as always. Then you skip the Alex Box lots because you’re rational and realize it’s not worth walking 20 minutes to class.
You keep driving.
Parking near the Maddox Field House is packed.
Frustrated, you head to Aster Street, take a right and start praying Hart Lot, behind Kirby-Smith Hall, isn’t full yet. It’s now 10:25 a.m.
In previous years, you’d just be screwed and, if lucky, may have settled for the farthest spot in Hart Lot, but this year you’re out of luck. At least one-third of the lot has been reapportioned to the new residents of Kirby-Smith Hall, so you leave the lot and drive back up Nicholson, heading toward a parking lot sure to have open spaces — South CEBA lot, located in a far-off land near Parker and Highland.
Once you find a spot, you begin your 20-minute trek to class — and now you’re late.
Sound familiar? If you’ve ever driven to campus, you probably know what I mean.
It’s a long-standing problem — just ask graduates. But parking problems have gotten significantly worse this year, and students are finally making a stand.
Communication studies junior Shelby Taylor and English junior Stephen Peltier are organizing the Rally for Commuter Parking, which will be held today at noon on the Parade Ground.
Taylor and Peltier have felt the effects of the campus parking inconveniences, particularly in Hart Lot, since the beginning of the year. With the rally, they hope to demonstrate to the Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation that commuters won’t stand for inadequate parking.
They decided to hold the event after Peltier sent a letter to the Chancellor’s Office requesting a meeting. Peltier said that after two weeks, the letter was forwarded to the Office of Parking, which downplayed the problem, essentially telling him they “were looking into it.”
“What it’s come to is that it’s getting worse and worse [and] commuters are getting pushed farther and farther away from the main areas of campus,” Taylor said, addressing commuter spots being changed to resident spots in the Hart Lot.
Some might simply look at the complaints and say “ride the bus” or “ride your bike.” But it’s not that simple, Peltier explained.
“It’s been brought to our attention that there’s insufficient bike lanes, [bike] racks, buses and confusion with parking, since spots have changed,” Peltier said.
To understand, just look at the decrepit bike lane on Nicholson or the overwhelming amount of people trying to ride the Tiger Trails buses.
Also, some commuters live outside the bus route’s reach and aren’t within biking distance.
Peltier also said he has observed a vast amount of cars ticketed in Hart Lot from confusion caused by the new vaguely labeled residential lot.
“We’re really pushing for more effective communication” with the Office of Parking on what they’re doing with commuter parking, Taylor said. “We pay $125 — the same as residents pay — without the same quality of parking.”
The ideas Peltier and Taylor are expressing aren’t radical. I drove to school every day last year, and the only time I ever found a decent spot was for an 8:30 a.m. class. It’s just not realistic to come to school two or three hours early to park.
Plain and simple, University parking is terrible and needs to be reformed.
So if you care about attending classes, get out to the Parade Ground today and support this cause.
There will be petitions. Sign them. Next Tuesday, the Faculty Senate is holding an open forum in the Atchafalaya Room in the Student Union. Go voice your opinion.
If enough people show up, we can make an impact.
We’re here to get an education. Let’s make it possible to get to class on time.
Chris Grillot is a 20-year-old English and mass communication junior from New Orleans. Follow him on Twitter at @TDR_cgrillot.
 
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Contact Chris Grillot at [email protected].