The new regulations for moped parking have had students up in arms all across campus. With the purchase of a $125 moped permit, students were required to pick a single lot on campus to park in, all year long.
San Antonio senior senator Chase Hardy authored a bill he will be submitting for second reading at the Student Senate meeting tonight. Hardy titled the bill “The Moped Parking Reformation Act of 2015.” He said it includes a petition of 600 signatures and testimonials.
However, the bill went before the senate’s campus improvements and affairs committee earlier this week, and did not pass.
Stephen Gentzel, chair of the committee, said they considered the pros and cons of the proposal and voted against it. He said it hasn’t been long enough since the new moped parking policies have been enacted to make it an issue for administration to investigate. The committee thinks it would be better to release a survey later in the semester, obtain student opinions then and resubmit the bill, Gentzel said.
Hardy disagrees, however, and said he is planning on pushing it through anyway.
“Parking is at an all-time constriction,” Hardy said.
There are a limited amount of spaces, according to Baylor department of public safety’s parking and transportation website. All four moped lots put together come to a total of 413 moped parking spots. However, the site lists only one of the four lots as sold out as of press time.
Hardy said his bill proposes more designated moped spaces, including lots for mopeds at the Student Life Center and the Baylor Science Building and the ability to move mopeds from lot to lot. Gentzel said the bill also included a lot by the library and the ability to park mopeds by bicycle racks, which was allowed prior to the new policy.
Hardy said these new parking regulations are bad for the environment, both the global environment and the environment between students and administration, calling it an “arbitrary act” by student parking services.
“The best thing student government can do in a situation like this, is give a concrete piece of paper that tells the administration that the student body feels this way and that we would really appreciate it if you would look at this possible solution,” Gentzel said.
Despite the fact that Gentzel and his committee did not vote in agreement with Hardy’s solution, Hardy said he guarantees it will be heard in the Student Senate meeting Thursday.
“I am willing to propose it tomorrow, even if it means appealing the committee,” Hardy said.
The Student Senate will meet at 5 p.m. on Thursday in Marrs McLean Science Building Room 301. Their meetings are open to the public and there is an open forum allowed to five speakers, for one minute, to discuss any topic before the meeting begins.
