Univerisity considers parking solutions

Certainly most everyone agrees that the parking situation at Southeast Missouri State University is a major source of complaints from students.

Some students have abandoned legal parking long ago, opting instead to pay tickets instead of deal with the severe shortage of spaces.

They sometimes block driveways. They often buy permits for one lot but then park in another, more convenient lot and hope for the best.

The university provides shuttle transportation for students who park anywhere near the campus, but some students say long delays between shuttles make that mode of transportation unrealistic.

The university plans to address the problem through three parking garages, two of them to be built in the next few months and a third that is likely to develop sometime in the future.

Southeast would build a 360-space parking garage where the current Henderson Street parking lot is located across from a residence hall currently under construction. A 340-car garage would be built on the Sprigg Street parking lot at the Towers dormitory complex.

The total cost of those two lots would be $6.5 million. The money would be raised by issuing bonds.

The third garage would be built in phases and eventually accommodate 1,800 cars, whose drivers would park and then ride shuttles to their classes. It would be located on New Madrid Street just west of the Show Me Center.

But this large parking facility carries a $12 million price tag and hinges on federal funding for construction, which hasn't been forthcoming.

So, for now, the focus is on the Henderson and Sprigg parking garages and on the sale of bonds. Students would pay them off with a $50-a-year parking-permit increase, raising the permit cost to $130 for each permit for preferred parking and similar increases for other parking permits.

University officials have much to consider.

First, is the demand there for these two garages plus the third one to come later? There should be a detailed analysis of how many students will need the parking in the coming years.

That analysis should take into account the $50 permit increase. Once it is imposed, will students still want the parking? Or will they decide to take their chances with on-street parking or simply hoof it?

And what will happen when these garages are being built over existing parking? Imagine all the displaced students scrambling to leave their cars somewhere so they can get to class.

More parking is a must. So is proceeding with caution.