The Cavalier Daily
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In search of a few good parking spots

IMAGINE my surprise when, upon arriving home from work one day early this summer, I found a new car waiting for me in my driveway. I was overcome with happiness, and it wasn't until the thought of bringing this car back to school at the end of the summer crossed my mind that I wanted to hand the gift back to my father.

As all upperclassmen know, and as first years will soon discover, finding a parking spot around the University is no easier -- and possibly harder -- than scoring an acceptance letter from the admissions committee. And when one actually succeeds in discovering the rare and much-coveted no-permit-required, no-15-minute-limit, free parking space in or near central Grounds -- which, frankly, I'm not sure even exists -- it comes with no less of a sense of accomplishment. The parking situation is dire, but attempts to build a badly needed parking garage on the corner of Emmet and Ivy are being stalled. Charlottesville residents opposing construction are putting up a fight against the University administration that seems little more than petty, childish and somewhat selfish on the residents' part. Opponents to the garage need to ease up on this fight and give in on something that is really a small concession and will make a large difference for a lot of people.

Those of you first years from Manhattan excited about a better parking situation down below the Mason-Dixon line? Think again. As it now stands, the parking options of one hoping to avoid the ever-so reliable -- note sarcasm -- University Transit Service are as follows. There's the parking garage next to the bookstore, a couple of small lots on the Corner and some non-permit spots on JPA. There's also your favorite and mine, the rare open spot on the road next to Alderman Library. However, remember that even this seemingly-good parking space comes with a hidden cost: sitting in Alderman library with a pit in your stomach caused by the uncertainty of wondering whether your car will be there to greet you when you emerge from your studying.

We all know that the University loves to make money by ticketing as many unsuspecting college students as humanly possible, but the situation is ridiculous. There are over 12,000 undergraduates at the University, not to mention graduate students, professors, Charlottesville residents and tourists. The parking situation has been out of control for some time, and there is no question that the time has come for expansion. The good news? The University is now in the process of constructing a new parking garage on the corner of Emmet and Ivy. The bad? No one seems to like the idea but the college students.

Since even before construction on the garage began, the University has been hearing complaints from town residents and the city council. These individuals have complained about the real estate space being used for a parking garage, no matter how much it is needed, as well as "damage to the neighborhood" and the anticipated added congestion that this garage will cause. This final complaint runs contrary to the findings of a study conducted by the University that found congestion would not increase. However, due to the questionable circumstances under which the study was conducted, the University has volunteered to perform another, but not to halt construction.

In addition to this, the University has agreed to make the effort toward synchronizing traffic lights and controlling access to the area in order to make this garage easier on the neighborhood. Even these steps, however, seem to have done little to quell dissent.

When one steps back from this situation and examines the bigger picture, the complaints of those against the garage seem petty. First of all, let's look at the argument that this "valuable real estate space" is being used to construct a parking garage. It is true that this space no doubt has value. However, no one ever complains about the hundreds of parking garages in Manhattan, and one would have to be a fool to argue that that real estate space is not infinitely more valuable than that found in Charlottesville, Va. The fact is, Manhattan could not function without parking garages. On a much smaller scale, this is the same thing we are facing in Charlottesville. Unlike the neighborhood residents that are opposing the building of this garage, the college students who comprise a large portion of the city during the year don't have driveways to conveniently park their cars in. Yet they still need spaces. This suggests that there is a higher demand for parking spaces than there is a supply. Even the laws of economics are on the side of the University. Build the garage and the market clears, or comes closer to clearing; allow the squabbling to block its construction and remain stuck in economic inefficiency.

Finally, one more thing that also needs to be considered by the town residents who stand in opposition to the construction of this garage is the fact that this is a college town. Charlottesville certainly loves the University when its basketball and football teams are winning games, but when the time comes to pay a small price for the University being here, many are not so enthusiastic.

As the University grows and becomes more prominent, it only makes sense that the facilities that cater to its students will be expanded. Charlottesville residents opposing the garage's construction should allow it to go through -- it is a small sacrifice on their part that will make a lot of other people's lives much easier. And -- just a thought -- if you don't like college-age kids, traffic and annoying things such as parking garages, maybe directly next to a huge Division One University is not the best place for you to live.

(Laura Parcells is a Cavalier Daily associate editor. She can be reached at lparcells@cavalierdaily.com.)

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