9/2/21 by the Editorial Board
Illustration provided by Sarah Teper
No, definitely not. However, there is plenty of time to discuss the ongoing issue of parking and transportation at Binghamton University.
Starting on the day of freshman move-in, traffic surrounding BU was severely backed up, creating hours-long delays for campus and community members alike. Yet one week into classes, traffic remains heavily congested, creating a massive problem for students, professors and the local community. Given the past year and a half of virtual or hybrid learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, only upperclassmen can recall the normal traffic patterns during semesters of in-person classes, of whom we’re sure can say they have never seen traffic quite this bad.
Although the influx of first-year students has passed, there are still several obstacles obstructing the flow of traffic around BU and its surrounding area. To start, there is still construction along a majority of the back entrances to campus, forcing many drivers to opt for the main entrance on Vestal Parkway. Additionally, Binghamton bus routes seem to be overwhelmed. Though Off Campus College Transport (OCCT) bus schedules are typically known for their tight schedules, bus routes are constantly changing or running late, creating much confusion and distress for those who need to get to work, class or home on time. Some services like the University Plaza (UP) shuttle have shut down completely in the face of the problem, leaving students with limited options. While social distancing limitations could have been to blame at the start of the semester, many buses have lifted these restrictions, now operating at full capacity.
Beyond transportation, parking is an entire issue of its own. Though students may arrive to BU in one piece, several are unable to find parking. Though freshmen are once again not permitted to have cars on campus after last year’s temporary allowance, the amount of vehicles on campus remains high. Students may circle the campus multiple times before finding a parking spot, with some leaving campus entirely after being unable to do so. This issue, compounded by the level of traffic, impacts several students who may have strict late and absence policies for class or arrive late for on-campus jobs. There are very few commuter lots close to the center of campus, and some students may be unable or unwilling to park in the paid lots which occupy central parking spaces. While the administration acknowledges parking will be tougher this year than in previous ones, they remain adamant that there is always adequate parking available, citing lots G1, E1 and ZZ on the sign coming into campus.
However, if the only options for parking are on the outskirts of campus, then parking space is not truly adequate.
We must keep in mind that while these issues, especially that of parking, predominantly affect BU students, it also affects the Binghamton community. Waking up to drive to campus earlier may be an inconvenience to us, but it is doubly impactful for locals who need to get to their full-time jobs, buy groceries for the family and perform other necessary errands that our presence is interrupting. Given BU’s already-strained relationship with the local community among concerns of gentrification and general disrespect, it is our responsibility to make amends wherever possible, starting with traffic.
The current transportation issue at BU is unsustainable, and it only serves to hurt the Binghamton community in the long run. While we do not support plowing down the Nature Preserve, per se, as a previous guest columnist once suggested, alternate solutions for parking are long overdue. While many are quick to advocate for the creation of new parking lots, which would definitively aid the situation, there are also plenty of other solutions that administration can pursue. For starters, Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) needs to limit the amount of parking permits available for students. To sell a parking permit to every student who desires one is not only a foolish perpetuation of the problem, but greedy.
Overselling passes does nothing to aid the campus community in relieving the stress of transportation. However, since that opportunity has already passed, TAPS can also pursue technology which offers live updates to parking availability. This technology should be familiar to the University given its similar services for dormitory laundry spaces or dining hall areas. TAPS does offer a chart on its website which directs students to different lots based on different time frames and known peak times, but a live system could limit the amount of time students spend searching for space. Administration could even consider offering classes at more staggered time slots rather than the traditional ones students have come to know going forward. In doing so, student traffic will be spread out over time rather than creating large backups at more popular time frames.
Although a large majority of the traffic issues lie on BU administration, it is also up to us students to alleviate the problem. Not every student needs a personal car, and if they do, they do not need to take it to campus every day. If students are willing to carpool with roommates, classmates or peers, they should. Not only is it convenient, but it could even save you gas money. Additionally, students can take a bus, which is typically offered every half hour at minimum. Although buses were a bit overwhelmed this first week of the semester, schedules are slowly returning to normal, and more people on the bus means less cars in the road.
Making some of these small changes will not only ease transportation services, but it’s environmentally friendly as well!
In the coming weeks, students and administration must come together to remedy a community-wide problem. It is on everyone involved to search out viable solutions to congestion on the roads. In doing so, we can all work to create a better transportation experience, getting us where we need to be, when we need to be.
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