While hundreds of students have bought a parking pass so that they can park by their

dorm on campus for class, there are just as many students who choose not to buy a pass.

Ironically, the school parking lot isn’t always the best place for your car as there are a lot of fender benders. However, many Colorado Mesa University (CMU)students gather at the same places to park as to avoid parking tickets.

The COVID-19 testing site that took over a majority of the Bunting Parking Lot the previous year is no longer, and actions were taken to expand the lot even further.

Derek Wagner, Vice President and Intergover’t of Community Affairs, made the decision to expand the lot behind Lucero along Glenwood Avenue for additional commuter parking.

Surprisingly, students who are commuting to campus continue to park elsewhere, such as the lot formerly owned by Rite Aid.

Subsequently, the expansion of the Lucero Commuter lot sits empty and the only life that dwells there are those of the displaced street kitties that lost their home to that lot.

Students have made a frugal effort to park as close to their classes as they can get without  paying for the pass. If there are any issues on campus about parking- it is less about what is available and more about who is willing to pay for a pass.

This strongly indicates that the student body may believe that the value of the parking on campus does not match the price of the parking ticket for several reasons

Though the price of a parking pass on campus has been consistent throughout the years, the quality of the lots evidently scrape the bottom of the barrel.

In the Bunting and Lucero Commuter lot, a person can count the number of trees there on one hand. There is no shade provided for any students that live in those dorms and cars will sit for days out in the Grand Junction sun.

The lots are simply no more than leveled trees and dirt. Perhaps this is why the Rite Aid lot has become more appealing to the student body.

The Rite Aid Parking lot is neither a beautiful or a grand place, as there are things that the students have probably not considered.

One major concern is that it isn’t uncommon for people to break into cars that have been left unlocked as there are no security cameras or people to look out for anything.

Additionally, it is possible that there are even a few people there that have decided to live out of their vehicles.

Nevertheless, there are trees that line the lot, and access to cross-walks allow students to reach campus with ease.

Perhaps something needs to change, and the issue does not reside in how much parking is available, rather the value of the lots that are provided.