With CMU’s rapid growth, it is no surprise that the University is continuously changing and parking lots have noticeably undergone a number of transformations. As more and more students are being admitted to the school, the campus is expanding beyond what anyone could have predicted. Many of the residential and commuter parking lots are not only being replaced by buildings, but also are moving farther away from the central hub of campus and are presented as temporary lots.

ASG Vice President Ariel Diamond articulates that, despite many pessimistic opinions regarding what the school has done with parking, the University as a whole has done an excellent job with such limited resources.

“I think that our university has done a great job providing for the rapidly- growing university,” Diamond said. “To consider how much the University has grown on and off campus is mind blowing, so it is no surprise that parking has become an issue. We have to remember that many universities make parking passes extremely expensive to discourage the ownership of vehicles, so it is nice that CMU is trying to accommodate the large number of commuters.”

Many students are hesitant about the recent parking changes due to the price of a parking pass, the distance from the parking lots to academic buildings and dorms and the lack of pavement or gravel in parking lots.

Sophomore commuter Malorie Weiss believes that better lot maintenance would help the situation.

“I definitely think that the parking lots need to be paved or have gravel lain down, because they are a muddy mess,” Weiss said.

Weiss is not the only student to have this complaint. Many students would rather walk or bike to campus than park in some of the commuter or residential lots due to the fear of sinking in mud or getting their cars stuck.

Although parking may not be a pretty sight at the current point in time, the university is doing its best to accommodate its students and staff.

The cause for these parking lots not being paved is the fact that they are still considered temporary lots. As the school expands, these lots will have buildings built over them, and as more houses are being bought out, eventually plans for a third parking garage will take place.

“It has become a balancing act for the university as we keep our doors open, expand on campus living and accommodate for not only on-campus resident parking but commuter parking as well,” Diamond said. “Parking problems are never easy to defeat because the university has so many students in a small area, but the university is doing its best to maintain accessibility and convenience.”

cchiovit@mavs.coloradomesa.edu