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Inside Iowa State
May 16, 1997

Iowa Staters respond to transportation, parking survey

by Linda Charles
More than 70 people responded to a recent online survey on campus parking and transportation.

Through a World Wide Web campus survey, the General Review of Transportation, Parking and Enforcement Committee sought faculty, staff and student opinions on campus transportation, enforcement, parking and related issues (such as those involving bikes and pedestrians).

The survey drew an unscientific sampling of comments on all four topics, with parking bringing in the most.

Jim Hutter, associate professor of political science and chair of the committee, which was appointed by the University Transportation Advisory Council, said most of those responding to the survey suggested building parking ramps on campus.

Hutter said some felt there were too many 24-hour reserve spots on campus and others objected to the number of handicapped spaces. Still others deplored the lack of short- term parking spaces in front of buildings.

Following are some of the comments that were submitted to the committee.

• "My suggestion is that you devise a system so that people with a significant number of years of service have an opportunity at a closer reserved assignment once in a while."

• "ISU does not charge us for office space, for the air to breathe, why then for parking?"

• "I am pleased with the low price of the faculty/staff 'hunting license,' and the system is managed so I always manage to find a reasonably convenient spot."

• "Triple the parking fees for general and reserve parking. Allow exceptions for people with financial hardship, etc. This would put the fees more in line with other universities of our size. It would reduce the number of people who buy a permit (myself included). Use the profits to subsidize more bus service, plowing snow off bike lanes, etc."

• "It is not fair that I must pay $250 to park in a reserved lot, just so I can walk three blocks to my office and another person, say one that works in the Design Center, only has to pay $45 for general and doesn't even have to walk a block."

• "I have reserve parking in Lot #22 by the Armory -- this is a joke! I think they made the parking spaces for the Volkswagen BUGS."

• "I think that the parking Nazis should be shot. I pay 10 percent of my tuition over again in parking fines!"

• "It is obvious that the solution to the parking shortage is to build parking ramps (if we are not to pave the campus). It is also obvious that the people who park on campus will have to pay for it. So, why don't we just get on with it?"

• "The relatively compact layout of campus makes walking to work from the periphery relatively short; similarly from building to building. If more parking is needed, let's add to outskirts."

• "Whenever pedestrians and bikes share a walk, there is the potential for problems, but we can do a lot more than we have to mitigate the problem. Specifically, signs reminding walkers to stay to the right and bikers to slow down and signal (e.g. with a bell or by voice) before passing a pedestrian."

• "I walk from Lab of Mechanics to Agronomy Hall for a class at noon three times a week and am nervous about being hit by cyclists. They ride on the sidewalks and across the grass. Recommendation: Get bike trails installed and enforce use."

• "Pedestrians should not have to be subjected to risks imposed upon them through the intimidating tactics of irresponsible bicyclists. Nor should responsible riders have to put up with the attitudes of pedestrians who think they can walk anywhere they desire."

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