Ball State University has been rapidly expanding its borders in the past few years. It has built excellent new facilities with "Cutting Edge Cool" technology and beautified the landscape. Enrollment also has been increasing in the past few years. So we have a great looking campus and more students to experience it.
But the university's parking capacity has failed to keep up. For that matter, the whole parking system has frustrated students with its continued tradition of failing to adequately compensate drivers.
The Office of Parking Services saw fit to bless the commuters of this institution with additional space Thursday.
The commuter lot by the Johnson Complex is under construction for the geothermal energy project so its 150 spaces or so can't be used. The university planned to have the well drilling in that lot completed by move-in week. Arrangements should have been made as move-in week approached and completion became impossible. Instead some commuting students had to waste time wandering around campus looking for a place to park this week.
The new lot, which is the former, construction-only, gravel lot on Ashland and Martin avenues, has 70 parking spaces. That leaves a few dozen students who will be searching for parking, possibly making them late for class.
Parking Services had months to prepare for this situation. Instead of solving the problem, it has offered a partial solution.
We know money is tight these days, even with the hundreds of thousands of dollars the public pays in parking tickets, fines and fees. Parking Services made more than $800,000 that way in the 2007-2008 fiscal year. Parking Services can't be expected to pull a parking garage out of its ... pocket, but it has to do something to remedy the situation.
For as long as most students have been at this school, parking has been an issue. From 45-minute meter times mocking those with 50-minute classes to the fiasco that is moving the entire Scheumann Stadium lot for home football games, the system in place could use some improvement.
Just a smidge.
The Late Nite Carnival displaces hundreds of commuters for a few days every year. Parking Services didn't set up a temporary lot last year. The first home football game of the year is next week and, despite Ball State having the fair grounds to temporarily park the cars, many students will have trouble finding their way there or back, like last year.
We say this every year, sometimes multiple times: Parking Services, get your act together.
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