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Introduction to campus parking issues
According to recent statistics, the lack of parking spots on campuses represents one of the major problems for students. The results of a cohort study with the sample comprised of 1.200 full-time U.S. students revealed that 16 percent of respondents consider inadequate parking the biggest organizational issue at their universities (Jacobs par. 2). Parking represents a challenge at Florida National University (FNU) as well because more and more students enroll in the school annually while the parking space remains limited.
Effects on students
Although the lack of adequate parking is clearly an organizational problem, it may have a negative impact on the academic outcomes of learners (Barata et al. 406). Students who commute by cars often lose time searching for a spot to park and frequently have to compromise the safety of their vehicles, accept the risk of being fined for inappropriate parking, or pay extra money for parking tickets at the nearby facilities. This situation puts a lot of pressure on individuals, distracts from studying, and significantly increases the level of stress. Therefore, it can be detrimental to students well-being.
Attitudes to driving
Nevertheless, the inconvenience associated with insufficiency of parking spots is only one side of the problem. Nowadays, students and teachers prefer to drive cars everywhere no matter how far or close their destination may be. The unwillingness of car owners to switch to other modes of transportation presents another issue. Researchers suggest that in order to deal with campus parking problems in an effective way, institutions should design a holistic strategy aimed both at the increase of available parking space and the discouragement of car use among students and employees (Barata et al. 406; Burr par. 1). By promoting the use of alternative transportation modes, such as buses or bicycles, FNU may significantly improve the overall college environment and decrease the risks to the health and safety of students. Moreover, when the general orientation to driving everywhere is diminished, the university could strengthen a sense of community on the campus (Burr par. 1).
Financial costs
According to Burr, the cost of building extra parking spaces is one of the major barriers to resolving the parking issue (par. 1). He notes that nearly $ 2.000 is required to construct merely one slot in an open-space parking lot, while the cost per parking slot in a garage increases sevenfold (Burr par. 1). Therefore, it may be difficult for FNU to solve the problem by just building more parking spaces as it will put pressure on the university budget. However, in order to reduce financial costs, the institution may introduce parking fees. However, it should be considered that although the given political decision may partly contribute to the promotion of the desirable behavior among car owners, it can also create financial difficulties for lower-paid employees and financially disadvantaged students.
Conclusion
Overall, to minimize possible negative impacts of inadequate parking, the university should develop a comprehensive strategy aimed at more than one area of concern at once. It should aim to provide sufficient physical space for parking and, at the same time, encourage the shifts in behavior and attitudes. It will likely be impossible to remove all car driving and parking completely. Nevertheless, through the analysis of the university traffic, as well as the current situation with parking, not only FNU may decrease financial costs but also improve the quality of the campus and the community life, learning environment, and the overall image of the institution.
Works Cited
Barata, Eduardo, et al. Parking at the UC Campus: Problems and Solutions. Cities, vol. 28, no. 2011, pp. 406-413.
Burr, David. Is University Parking a Common Grievance?. Parking Today, 2011.
Jacobs, Peter. The Three Biggest Problems on College Campuses. Business Insider, 2014.
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