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To the Editor: Parking garage would make more sense than open air lots

Written by Andrew Oswald

Wednesday, 06 February 2013 10:24

I just wanted to comment on the article in the Jan. 30 Sentinel "BGSU outlines building plans".
That is great that they are going to tear down buildings around campus to open them up, and to be more attractive to upcoming students and such. It is a shame that they must do that, but I do believe that by opening up campus, it will make it look better.
On the other hand though, in the article it states that "Bowling Green State University officials cleared up some of the building plans, that there are absolutely no plans for a parking garage." Why is that?
Students have been asking that question for years now. It would make a lot more sense to have a parking garage that would be some what closed in to the elements then to build slab after slab after slab of open air parking lots.
What exactly are the plans for the building that was just torn down there at the corner of N. Enterprise and Ridge St.? That would be a perfect spot for a parking garage. It doesn't have to be huge, just a small 3 or 4 story one if that. Just to make it easier on students and faculty.
Think about this Dr. Mazey and BGSU building officials when making your plans for the future.
Andrew Oswald
Bowling Green

Comments

# 2013-02-06 12:22

It would cost $8-10 million just to build a 500 space parking garage. It would cost hundreds of thousands to maintain each year. BGSU students expect parking to be ridiculously inexpensive. They would never pay enough to cover the costs. It would be a stupid investment. Furthermore, it would be hideous.

Most BGSU students live on campus. They don't need cars at all. The solution to the parking "problem" is to raise parking fees by a factor of 10. It would generate revenue for the university, reduce traffic, and allow us to turn existing parking lots into green spaces or other more productive uses. Walking or biking would also have health benefits for the students.

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# 2013-02-07 11:56

Bananaman-I agree with almost everything you said except that most students live on campus. Not, then why are there so many apartments and houses turned into living quarters for students? That's not adding up. A quarter of BG is devoted to students and maybe non-traditional are the rest. The walking part makes sense except on miserable days.

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# 2013-02-07 15:42

You are correct. How many free parking garages have you ever been in? They are very expensive to build and maintain.

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# 2013-02-06 13:37

Seems Bowling Green & BGSU are afraid of Parking Garages, that's why.

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# 2013-02-06 15:39

I have wondered why BGSU never considered building a parking garage, too. There are just too many vehicles parked there and very far from where the students classes are held. Isn't that a danger to students walking back to their car at night after class? The lot next to Poe Rd. is fairly isolated and could pose a risk for mugging, breaking into vehicles, etc. If you are willing to raise parking fees 10 fold bananaman, couldn't that money be used to maintain a parking garage which would be more centrally located? Also, what about the current cost of maintaining these large open lots. Whey have to maintained as well.

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# 2013-02-06 16:36

The vast majority of students do not need to have cars on campus. They have these things called feet.

Parking garages (and lots) are a luxury - not a necessity - for most college students.

If students (or faculty, or community residents, etc) were truly able to support parking garages by paying for parking, they would be built. But this isn't Chicago. No one is going to be willing to pay $30/day to park in BG.

What people are asking for is a luxury that someone else will pay for.

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# 2013-02-07 15:44

BGSU has a good walking campus, a decent shuttle system and tons of far away parking. There are other plenty of other campuses who restrict Freshman and Sophomores from having cars due to space issues, be thankful what what is good!

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# 2013-02-06 17:52

The Undergraduates live on campus, and they can use their feet, blades, bikes, and skateboards.

The Graduate students live off campus, and not necessarily in town.

Most, if not all, of the faculty and staff live off campus and not necessarily in town.

Perhaps the students don't need a parking garage, but it wouldn't hurt to build a faculty/staff parking garage or two in centralized locations, thus freeing up former faculty flat-lot spaces for use by commuting students. God knows fac/staff pay enough for parking already (nope, it's not free).

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# 2013-02-07 13:35

BGSU classified staff have always had a BIG problem of finding a parking place just to go to work. I totally agree that a Parking Garage for EMPLOYEES, maybe even Faculty too would certainly help the parking problem, after all they are the ones that keep the campus running and usually many of them are coming into work early or leaving late. It wouldn't cost anymore to patrol it, light it and maintain it than parking lots that take up more room. This is nothing new to be discussed.

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# 2013-02-08 20:34

Exactly. Build the garage for the faculty/staff, to create more parking for them, and turn SOME of the existing fac/staff spaces into commuter spaces. That way it benefits everyone: more parking for all.

I've been a commuter student, AND I'm classified staff. I thought having that laminated pass would make parking so much easier, but it's almost as bad as when I played Lot Wars as an undergrad.

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# 2013-02-06 19:00

President Olscamp told us in the late 80's/early 90's that BGSU has a walking problem not a parking problem. He was right to a degree. It seems with cell phones, lighting and busses that run through and around campus the problem has been addressed. College campuses are not like Wal-Mart with parking at the front doors. Even a parking garage won't be close enough to the front door of every building for some.

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# 2013-02-07 13:40

More students will be moving back on Campus when the old dorms are torn down and newer more modern state of the art Dorms are built to replace them. The rent in Bowling Green is way too high, notice all the empty apartments & house vacant now, it will get worse, as students will weigh the expense & convenience to live back on campus as apposed to off campus.

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# 2013-02-07 15:45

I doubt any student over the age of 19 or 20 will ever voluntarily move back on campus unless it was for mere financial reasons regardless of how nice the new places were.

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# 2013-02-09 13:55

They already have started to live on campus, look at all the student rentals sitting empty all over Bowling Green.

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# 2013-02-07 13:41

Maybe BGSU should think about how many students can have cars on campus.

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# 2013-02-07 13:43

Parking Garages can be built that DO NOT look like eyesores. You can not please all the people all the times.

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# 2013-02-08 20:36

It's not about being close to the buildings, it's about having somewhere (for those of us who do not live on or within reasonable walking distance) to put the car while we're working or learning.

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# 2013-02-09 13:55

That's spot on !

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# 2013-02-06 22:08

It also wouldn't hurt to build a massive subway system throughout Bowling Green with connections to Perrysburg, Toledo, Findlay, and any place else that faculty or staff might live. If only the money fairy would sprinkle her magic on BGSU.

Currently, faculty do not pay to park (due to the interminable contract negotiations), and staff and students pay very little to park. Remove the cars of on-campus students from the lots and charge market rates for faculty/staff/off-campus student parking, and the problem is instantly solved. No need for multi-million dollar eyesores.

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# 2013-02-08 20:38

If I had to pay "market rates" to park for my job on campus, I wouldn't be able to afford to work there (even though it IS good pay).

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# 2013-02-09 11:09

Well the "Money Fairy" did grant Ohio taxpayer dollars to Upgrade Rail Infrastructure to include the "3C Quick Start" Passenger Rail plan in 2010.
The "3C" was the first step to expand to include a station here in BG as part of the late Jim Seney's legacy, Ohio Hub passenger rail system. Long a Bi-partisan priority to position Ohio for the future.

http://tinyurl.com/6hel9z

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# 2013-02-07 14:10

I don't understand how everyone became so entitled. Walk. Bike. It will not hurt you. On a crappy day, carpool, take a shuttle. I did it. My friends did it. You can do it, too! I do have to agree that a parking structure that goes up is better than several parking lots that take up green space.

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# 2013-02-08 20:42

Not everyone is physically capable of biking to work, and it WOULD hurt them. Some of us do not live close enough to walk.

I, for one, am not going to get up three hours earlier in order to walk from one end of BG to the other (my knees can barely take the walk in from the parking lot some days). It would be nice if the shuttle came out this far. No, I'm not going to sell my house and move closer just to "solve" the parking issue. And that is NOT me "being entitled". Be realistic. This is a vehicle-driven society.

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# 2013-02-10 20:21

There were no shuttles when i went there, and i got up extra early to walk EVERYWHERE/.While i agree with you, if you have health problems it's not good, but with all the shuttles, there shouldn't be a problem. Again, i walked the entire length of campus several times a day, and when I lived off campus, and IN the snow. you gotta do what you gotta do to get to class. it's like that in the real world too, your work expects you to be there no matter what.

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# 2013-02-11 12:15

You want parking, but you don't want to pay for it. Why do people fail to see that parking is just another commodity or service? It isn't free. If the users don't pay for it, someone else has to.

BG taxpayers shouldn't subsidize parking (especially for non-residents). BGSU students shouldn't pay higher fees or tuition so that staff can park for free. BGSU employees who choose not to drive should not pay for lots for those who choose to drive.

I would like it if BGSU gave me a free lunch every day, but I recognize that this is not how the world works.

If you had an extra space in your driveway, and a complete stranger asked to park in it every day, surely you would say No unless you received something in return.

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# 2013-02-08 13:36

Look at what Ball State has done to their campus over the years. When expanding and renovating most of campus they added a second parking garage, not specifically for students, but for special events and performances. During the day the garage is used by the faculty and staff (which requires a parking pass). During the evenings and on the weekends it is used by students for night classes and study groups (at no charge during the evenings and weekends) . It is most heavily used by guests during concerts, graduation ceremonies, or other special events (for a small fee). A multi-use parking garage could prove to benefit many people if it was planning and used correctly.

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# 2013-02-08 14:53

Good letter!

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# 2013-02-08 20:43

Agreed!

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# 2013-02-08 15:54

While a "Massive Subway" project would create thousands of Jobs, I would suggest we use the existing Infrastructure already in place. Bowling Green is well positioned to reduce transportation costs for Students, Citizens and those visiting our Community. Increasing transportation choice by looking to the past, just may lead us into a Cleaner, Greener and more Sustainable future.
http://tinyurl.com/6hel9z

Ask yourself why this isn't happening right now.

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# 2013-02-08 16:55

Rail would be fantastic! Unfortunately, the morons in Columbus lack the foresight to make investments for the future. They just want to cut takes on the rich and attack public sector unions.

Ten years from now, I guarantee that the price of gas will be over $10/gallon. A transportation system based primarily on gasoline powered automobiles is unsustainable.

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# 2013-02-08 22:08

Seriously, get off the green space kick! I was a commuter and parked almost a mile from my class buildings because those are the only commuter lots. I think a parking garage may be an idea for the future but first you are going to need faculty and students. Both of which are being alienated by the ignorance of the BGSU administration. I see BGSU losing more in the next few years than it gained in the last ten. I am disappointed in all of the decisions being made in the name of bettering the university for the students.

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# 2013-02-10 20:22

AGreed, they do more for the rich alumni that donate boatloads of money for a sports arena. they don't care for the regular students.

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# 2013-02-11 20:05

The rich alumni allow the students to have an arena capable of hosting a Presidential visit, a Student Union worthy of special events and many scholarships that are enjoyed by many students. It is a balancing act to keep alums engaged and interested in donating for the extras. Parking garages are very expensive per spot compared to surface lots and when classrooms, labs, offices and residence halls need renovations and replacement something has to give. Don't chase the rich alums away or the students will pay 100% of it all.

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# 2013-02-16 14:48

Parking Garages pay for themselves over time, BGSU would be wise to concider building one, to save on land for future use. Parking lots are SAFE, let the faculty, staff & outside campus support services use the garage for a fee, I know MANY people that would gladly pay a reasonable fee for a spot they can count on everyday to park & be on time for work !!!!!Also, upkeep would be cheaper too, Garages really don't need to be cleared of snow or salted.

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