Lilly Andrews, Arts & Life Editor

After student uproar regarding last year’s parking zones, Campus Safety has once again redrawn the parking map. This year, there are five distinct color zones as opposed to last year, which only had two. 

It’s fair to say that, in recent years, Denison’s parking situation has been all over the place. Changes to the system result in changes with student opinion. The Denisonian itself has posted many online articles about parking, some dating back to 2014 (when a remote lot pass only cost $1!). A lot of these headlines mention “parking cris[e]s,” influxes in ticketing and overall frustration with the ever-changing system.

My opinions about this year’s parking began with a $40 ticket on my windshield. Needless to say, I was not happy, especially considering the $300 price tag on my orange lot parking pass—almost double what I paid last year for yellow lot parking on East Quad. 

But I’m not writing to needlessly complain, especially after learning about Denison’s past with parking. After talking to some upperclassmen who had to deal with last year’s parking situation—one color for East Quad, and just one for everyone else, who all had to fight for the remaining spots—this arrangement is certainly much better for them. Last year, my thoughts on parking as a first-year student were wildly different from a sophomore’s or a junior’s thoughts. I didn’t have to deal with the same issues that upperclassmen faced on West Quad.

So, if parking is better this year, then what is the real issue? It comes down to a few things: price, information and perspective.

Nobody likes to pay money, especially students. Part of my issue with parking stems from not just the original pass’s cost but also price transparency. While writing this column, I searched my email for a few things, including a comprehensive price breakdown of each parking color’s cost, as well any notifications that my vehicle registration would increase from $155 to $300. I did not find anything. These emails tend to stray away from discussing outright costs. 

However, I did find my parking registration email from the summer, which informed me about the selection process. It also told me how to preview the parking passes, but this information was through a portal, only open for three days post-email. I completely missed this preview and had to blindly choose a parking color, unsure of where the lots were located.

One reason why students might get so heated about parking is due to a lack of open information. Denison’s parking website consists of three short sections and one photo and, if you click on another link, a 12 page PDF covering every single parking question you might ever have. I’m certainly not saying this isn’t enough, but I wish it was more accessible. None of the emails ever direct students to this handbook or address common parking issues found within it. Neither does Campus Security, who could attach a photo of the current lot organization alongside their emails.

Maybe I’m speaking from a place of frustration simply because of this ticket. (When I did try to appeal the ticket via the link on the bottom of the paper, the link did not direct me to an appeal form. It just directed me back to the Denison parking page.)

However, I do not think students will ever be completely satisfied with parking on campus. One lot configuration could have seven lot sections and work really well for first-years, while another could have only three yet be great for juniors. Student perspective will always be the main deciding factor of whether a parking situation is deemed universally good or universally terrible. The best way Campus Safety can navigate parking in the future—since someone will always be unhappy—is to offer more clarity about inevitable changes.

Lilly Andrews ‘29 is a creative writing major from Youngstown.