Have you found a convenient place to park on campus? It’s no secret that parking has ALWAYS been a problem at BSU… especially for commuters who make up a majority of the student population. This semester, things have been more difficult than ever partially thanks to the demolition and “green space” transformations that took place in the Lower Great Hill and Chapel lots this summer. Staff and faculty members keep telling us to take advantage of the new parking garage, so I decided to take an in-depth look at the place and see if it’s really as convenient as the school representatives think it is.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION…
First of all, the placement of the parking garage isn’t great. Gone are the days where commuters come hope to park in the middle of campus. Unless your first class is somewhere on the East side of campus, you may want to leave a little bit earlier for school because you’ve got some walking to do. Not to mention, the construction of the new dorm makes the walk to West campus even longer than necessary (unless you cut through the MBTA lot). I just really think they could have picked a better spot. Why couldn’t it be on the outskirts of West campus- or maybe in the existing Spring Street lot?
DANGER?
How about accidents? Has anyone got into a fender bender in there yet? It’s only a matter of time before one little accident is going to shut that place down during rush hour when most of us are leaving campus. The garage is said to hold about 800 cars, but can you imagine hundreds of people trying to get out of there all at once? The sharp corners, tight spaces, and dark areas just don’t seem safe at all.
TRAFFIC
The traffic has obviously been pretty bad so far when trying to leave the garage after class, but then again, when has traffic NOT been a problem at BSU? The only thing I noticed is at the intersection coming off of Great Hill Drive. It should definitely have a light if we are going to funnel nearly every car on campus through it.
APPEARANCE
Some people think the new garage is an eye sore and I tend to agree, but in my opinion, function should really be the focus. As a commuter, it doesn’t seem like BSU’s shares my function-first parking strategy. One thing’s for sure: the residents who get to live in the new dorm building will have one of the most unique views on campus; looking out their windows every day to see frustrated commuters making their way to class.
How do you feel about the parking garage? Does it affect your morning commute? Do you think the new green space is a positive or negative addition to the campus?
