By Jessica Rajkumar | LTVN Reporter
Ever since I had a student worker job on campus, I’ve had to make more random trips to campus that require me to park where I have no permit. While I’ve had to secretly hope I won’t be fined if I find a space at 4 p.m., I’ve been stuck multiple times with a citation for parking at a building I work in. Even with no student job, parking can always be a difficulty.
Even without a parking permit, driving on campus for events that happen outside of towing and fining periods is a hassle if you don’t plan at least 15 minutes to find parking. For students who can’t afford to pay for the expensive registration fee or who physically cannot walk far to class due to conditions, the university should consider having new parking on campus for students.
On Baylor’s campus, there are nine parking spaces accessible to students during the day, ranging from garages with multiple levels to small parking lots that have visitor parking. While most areas require a permit to park, they’re not so easy to get. Parking in garages is a more accessible option since there are more spaces, however, with recent break-ins and catalytic converter thefts, I would be scared to pay for a space knowing my car might not be safe.
There are many parking lots on campus surrounding the main student buildings, such as Lot 22 and near Pat Neff Hall, however, while those spots are solely dedicated to faculty and staff, I believe a new addition of an all-student parking lot on campus would help open more options for students who work on campus into the late hours.
For some students, their shift starts in the afternoon and goes until late at night. While some might be comfortable with it, I find it daunting to walk back to my car parked off campus alone at night.
During my time at Baylor, there have been multiple construction projects throughout campus that have targeted different things. For example, the Alumni Center and the renovations of Collins Residence Hall. However, I believe Baylor should use some of their funding to add a new parking lot solely for students to use. There is a grass field across from the Foster Business School, behind Earle Hall in East Village, that could easily be transformed into a parking lot that would help students.
While there are many lots on campus, there are very few that are accessible to students, let alone those who are not able to afford to park on campus at all. Baylor should reconsider the needs of their students who study and work and aim to help their student’s productivity.
