Every year the students at USC complain about one thing: parking. And every single year, it seems as if the administrators at this school just ignore everyone’s grievances. So would it surprise you to hear that USC is actually doing something about the parking situation?
This year, USC is choosing to tackle some key students concerns around parking by focusing on the shuttle system, Greek Village traffic and, parking fees, and students’ ability to get around Columbia.
USC’s goal is to make Columbia as walkable as possible. Administrators want to get as many cars off campus as possible, but in order to do that some changed needed to be made. The State reports that the university wants to discourage students from parking close to their classes, and instead utilize the shuttle system. That being said, USC shuttle system has had a complete makeover. They have added more shuttles during peak traffic times as well as implementing a new app to track the shuttles location. (find name of shuttle bus) USC’s end goal is to make this campus more “pedestrian friendly.”
In addition, students who don’t have a car on campus can get a free pass with the Columbia shuttle system, The Comet.
Anyone who has ever driven by Greek Village during meal times can attest to the horrible traffic and parking accommodations. It’s a mess, and it’s nearly impossible to find a spot. To combat this, USC is charging every Greek student $250 per year to build a parking garage specifically for students in Greek life. However, the garage will not even be completed until most of the students paying for the garage have graduated. Unsurprisingly, plenty of students find it unfair: “Why do I have to pay for a parking garage that I’m never going to be able to use…or see?” says Sarah Westbrook, a junior.
But that’s a long-term plan. For now, USC has added a shuttle route that goes from the baseball-tailgating field to Greek village.
The State also reports that USC has increased the garage spot fee to $80 and the general student lot pass up $10. That means no additional parking, but a more expensive rate to get it. Mostly, it seems that USC is trying to forced students into parking submission by making it unattainable and a hassle.
One thing that certainly won’t change is the fact that tons of students to drive to campus everyday, and with the distance of most off-campus housing, that probably won’t change. Emma Anderson, a junior says that the parking problem is actually a huge deterrent. “It makes me not want to go to class,” she says.
Although USC is attempting to address some of the parking concerns, they still haven’t helped out the students who live off campus and simply need to get onto campus in the first place. Reilly Tuccinard, a junior, says that she doesn’t think USC has made enough improvements to make a difference.
“I understand that they are improving shuttle systems, but my apartment is over a mile away from the majority of my classes, and I know tons of people with houses that live even farther,” she says. “Unless they added 100 more shuttles, I just don’t see how it’s possible to get around without driving.” While we can see why they are looking to remove as many cars as possible to make this campus “pedestrian friendly,” we’re not sure if it is something that can logistically happen. So, although USC is actually doing something about parking, it’s not quite what we were hoping for.