I am writing in response to Adam Nicholes’s letter “Parking Garages are a huge waste of money” that appeared in the April 13th editon of the Chrony.
He says that “parking garages simply do not make a high return on their investment.” I wasn’t advocating a parking garage as a financial investment for the school. I was thinking that it might be a nice service to provide the students who are dumping truckloads of cash at the doors of the university in exchange for an opportunity to go to school there.
I don’t hear anyone complaining that the new multi-level parking structure near the Institute building is a “huge waste of money”. It generally seems to be packed with cars of people who are pleased with it.
Although, seeing how much they charge currently in order to park 20 minutes from class, I’m guessing Parking Services could do a good job making a decent return on a new parking garage. The whole idea of parking services decreasing supply so that can increase demand (and prices) seems to be behind the current parking situation.
As for UTA, I’m glad you enjoy your three hour a day commute from Utah County. It would take me only about two hours and I live in Salt Lake. Sadly two hours a day riding a bus that also only gets me within 15 minutes of class doesn’t fit into my schedule. Also, I can’t read in a moving vehicle and if I could somehow manage to fall asleep amid the constant stop and go of the bus, I worry that I’ll miss my stop.
Obviously quality education is more important than parking and I think those of “adults” who go to the U understand that. I don’t hear anyone threatening to drop out as a result. Its just a major inconvenience. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my quality higher education its that we have a duty to make our voice heard and work for changes that we feel strongly about. Not just accept things the way they are. Is that “adult” enough for you?
Jacob TrippGraduate StudentMedical Informatics