To Park or Not to Park?

Being a Chippewa comes with a lot of great benefits and luxuries, but parking anywhere on campus – especially near Moore Hall – is not one of them.

For some, like Battle Creek senior Emma Fishnick, an 8 a.m. class is the only thing that guarantees her a decent parking spot in the morning.

“I feel grateful for my early morning class, just so I can grab a good spot in the lot early,” Fishnick said. “If my classes were any later I would be stuck circling the parking lot in hopes of finding a spot.”

A majority of my classes are also in Moore Hall, but strangely enough, I still find myself struggling to get to class on time because I am unable to find a parking spot.

Students purchase parking permits so they are able to drive to campus and not stuck following the strict times of a bus route. Although being able to drive to campus on your own schedule is a luxury, the time it takes to find a parking spot unfortunately makes it almost not worth the effort.

Parking permits are required for faculty, staff, commuters and vendors who plan to park on campus, unless you choose to try your luck at a metered spot before 4 p.m.

As a student without a parking permit, during the hours where the lot is only available to those with permits, I must rely solely on luck – hoping that a parking meter is available. This can be difficult at times when I am already running late for class and there are no open meters spots anywhere nearby.

Lansing senior Monique Hudson can also sympathize with how difficult it is to find a parking spot near Moore Hall.

“Sometimes I don’t find a spot at all, but on days that I’m lucky it usually takes 15-20 minutes,” Hudson said. “I am better off getting there almost an hour before my class just to find a spot without rushing.”

Traffic flow is always an issue with the cars and buses that frequently make their rounds through the Moore parking area every 30 minutes. During the afternoon, cars are circling the lot while others are trying to exit, making the congestion even worse.

Being that there is so much movement between people parking, exiting, busses and students walking to and from class, it is extremely important to use caution while you are driving in this hectic area.

With parking enforcers roaming the lots, searching for violations at nearly all times, parking tickets are a common thing on campus, which can add up with a penalty of $25 for most violations. This can be frustrating when a lack of parking spaces sometimes causes you to have to park elsewhere, even when you have a valid permit.

One important question needs to be posed: As the Central Michigan University student body continues to grow, how will this obvious parking issue be solved?

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