Rarely do Ball State University students criticize Muncie for moving too fast, but on June 9, we warned the City Council about passing its new parking restrictions too soon.
The ordinance to severely restrict parking on near-campus roads was proposed to the council on May 2 and passed June 6 — after just one month and one meeting of open commentary. Now, two weeks after the ordinance was supposed to be in effect, the new parking signs remain covered on many streets and the ordinance is far from being enforced. This rushed decision has turned into a big fight over which sides of the streets should be affected by the ordinance and how many passes should be allotted per house — points of debate which were raised even before the ordinance passed.
If this parking restriction is as necessary as the council claims, council members should’ve taken the time they needed to plan for it before investing anything in the project. Now, if the council backs out on its decision, the city is left with dozens of useless signs it must remove and store or destroy — a waste of time, money and everyone’s effort.
Whether the ordinance is rejected or fully supported, residents must wait until the Sept. 12 meeting to see any change in the plan — almost a month from when the parking situation was supposed to be “fixed.” In the meantime, those who this ordinance was created to help are left with unchanged parking conditions and increased frustration.
And the debate over how to deal with the already-passed ordinance is looking remarkably similar to the endless debate over the naming of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
While council members missed their first chance to get these parking ordinances right, they must take the time now to consult all those involved and come to an across-the-board agreement. No one — students and permanent residents alike — should have to abide by restrictions that were not ready to be put in place, and the council should take the time it needs to draft a reasonable plan before proceeding any further.
Until then, Muncie residents will just have to wait for the council to get its act together — again.
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