I have been beating this horse for a few months now, but no one seems to be listening. Here’s the problem. There are a lot of students who live in the area near BYU but have no place to park their cars. They park them "on street" only to gain the ire of the local residents. The residents want permit only parking so they can park and keep the students out.
The city wants to "force" the apartment owners to provide parking, and may open up some no parking areas on street to the students. It seems, also, that there are various lots around which have space, but "cannot" be used for student parking, in case someone wants to come down and use the ice rink or water park, a lot that I guarantee you is never full.
A student suggested that both homeowners AND students be allowed to get permits. Oh, yeah, we are putting in a permit program to keep the students out and then provide permits to the students. Another suggestion was to set up a parking district, collect taxes, and pay for student parking that way.
Balderdash. What is the matter with these people? Charge market rates for on street parking. Sheesh.
If homeowners AND students had to pay for the permits, maybe they would rethink the need to park on the street. Students who pay for the permit would be more likely not to cause havoc in the neighborhoods, and if they did, the permit number would be a way to track em down.
This would also mean that local businesses (like the water park/ice sheet) would be enticed to open their lots to paying customers (monthly). This will only work, however, if the on street parking costs more than parking in the off street lots. In the winter, there are few parkers there, and in the summer the students are gone and they can get their entire lot for use. My guess is that other businesses in the are have available parking and would love to make a few bucks issuing paid permits to park there.
Students can afford the apartments, they can afford the cars, and the upkeep, and the insurance, and the gas. Why can’t they afford to pay for a place to park the vehicle? Makes no sense to me.
JVH
