As Colorado Mesa University’s (CMU) student enrollment continues to increase, the demand for commuter and resident parking continues to do the same. 

During the busier parts of the day, students often find themselves driving in circles looking for an empty spot, or traveling between lots, hoping there will miraculously be an opening. 

To help relieve some of these issues, CMU acquired the former Albertson’s parking lot across from the Maverick Center and proceeded to convert it to a mixed lot for both commuter and resident permit holders. 

While not as convenient nor centrally located as the parking garage or the library parking lot, the new area contains nearly 100 new parking spaces designated for CMU students, seemingly relieving much of the traffic and difficulties that permit holders face on a daily basis.  

This attempt at relief does provide an additional set of parking spaces for many students, yet, there is much to be said about what this acquisition has taken from others.

Students who previously parked in this lot for free have been given two options during this spring semester. 

Either students can pay $60 dollars to acquire a commuter parking pass–feeding into the problem of too many students and not enough parking–or they must find new parking that is going to be even farther and less accessible than before. 

The parking problems that students have been facing throughout previous semesters is now being perpetuated by an attempted solution. 

While this new area initially seemed like it would expand the student parking availability, it instead removes parking from students who can’t acquire these passes and potentially makes our parking situation more difficult in the long run. 

There are also concerns that arise surrounding student safety and the inaccessibilty of parking for non-permit holders. 

While the Albertson’s parking lot was formerly a busy and generally safe place for students, due to the sheer amount of people around, those that don’t hold passes are now forced to park in isolated and less secure areas. 

Rather than getting to park in a lot that is close to campus and relatively safe, students will be parking farther from campus on random streets and alleyways and must then walk further distances to reach the safety of the campus. 

All in all, the purchase of the Albertson’s parking lot initially brought with it the hope that student parking would become easier and less congested; however, this new commuter/resident parking created with it a host of problems that CMU will have to face within the coming semesters. 

Looking toward the better sides of this acquisition, there is much to be said about the opportunity to build a new CMU facility within the old Albertson’s building itself.

With this being one of the first purchases that CMU has made on the east side of campus, students can look forward to CMU expanding and moving into the other side of 12th street in coming years.