The administration has finally heard the cries of angry motorists everywhere: there is absolutely nowhere to park on campus. We lived almost happily with the large multi-level parking structure years ago, but with its demolition, anarchy has ensued on campus.
In order to calm the large mobs of college students and faculty, the administration has declared that as of next year, freshmen will be restricted from bringing vehicles to Cal Poly. The Parking and Commuters Services comment on the new rule is a small one-word sentence and doesn’t leave much to the imagination.
The good news is that not allowing freshmen to have cars will help relieve parking struggles. Parking lots K1 and R1, where current freshmen park, will add up to 720 general spaces, 1 disabled space and 10 metered spaces. Hopefully, with the additional spaces, the overcrowding and traffic issues of parking lot H14 will be eased.
Related: 10 Things to Love/Hate About Being a Freshman
Cal Poly is not the only college to restrict first-years from bringing cars. For example, UC Davis doesn’t allow any students in residence halls to purchase campus parking permits. And UCLA’s parking permit prioritization is determined by class standing, leaving the freshmen to fend for themselves without cars.
Though the freshmen will suffer, we should look on the bright side: this new rule could be environmentally friendly! Without cars, first-year Cal Poly students will need to rely on SLO Transit or bicycles for all of their transportation needs.This usage could transfer to their upperclassmen years, meaning more students utilize public transit than adding to the roads.
Overall, taking away parking privileges—and consequently, cars—from the freshmen next year will result in a lot of change. Hopefully, the positives that come from it will all be worth it. Here’s to hoping it doesn’t take 45 minutes to park on campus anymore!