The Branding Iron's Opinion on Parking
– By the Branding Iron Editorial Team –
After many interviews and interactions with students, the Branding Iron Editorial Team feels as though very few on the University of Wyoming campus would consider the headline “Students displeased with university parking” newsworthy, as it is well known and something that affects nearly every student on this campus.
Regardless, as it appears this message has not made it to those who need to hear it most, we have chosen to publish an article purely for the edification of our university’s administration.
With much appreciated support from Barstool Wyoming via Instagram, the Branding Iron has spent the past two weeks collecting comments from students across campus.
The consensus is clear and the students of the University of Wyoming have spoken.
We are livid with the parking situation on campus, and feel as though our voice is not being heard– and that if it is, that it is not being valued.
Now, acting as the fourth estate, the Branding Iron has taken the liberty of voicing the opinion of the student body as our own, directed towards those who may have the power to enact change.
We have published student opinions under the very headline that, as far as we have seen, nearly every student would consider a fact, Students displeased with university parking.
Students displeased with university parking
– By Jackson Day –
“I feel the Board of Trustees should be a student for a week, and then I bet you damn well they would not want to take out that parking lot,” Meghan Dean, a Junior at the University of Wyoming, said, referring to the Union Lot.
Over the past few months, the University of Wyoming has been implementing major changes to parking in accordance with their Master Plan, a transition to a more walkable campus. Many students, however, are not happy.
Students are displeased with a lack of available parking spots, the high price of permits, the university’s focus on being “pedestrian friendly” in a cold environment, and inadequacies of the university bus system.
An insufficient number of available parking spots is the university’s primary parking problem, according to many students.
“It is still next to impossible to find an available parking spot next to the buildings I have class in,” Taylor Weber said. “I have to leave almost an hour before class to either wait in the cold for the buses or I have to walk.”
For some students, difficulties finding parking have caused serious issues.
“It has even hindered my education,” Brittan Bower said. “I drove around the union parking lot for 15 minutes attempting to find a parking spot amidst the madness. Unfortunately, I never got one, and it caused me to miss my SI class.”
With construction portables eradicating a portion of the Union Lot, the Day Lot being closed, and the Ivinson Parking Garage having yet to open, many students report the situation is getting worse by the day.
“I’ve grown up in Laramie and it used to be that I could park and go to my events on campus when I was little and everything was fine, but now it’s so congested that students are parking off campus,” Erin Rees said.
“[Students are] getting in the way of residents and everyone’s mad, and it’s only going to get way worse if they get rid of the Union Lot.”
Beyond a simple lack of parking spots, many students are also dissatisfied with the cost of parking permits.
An article on the UW Website from the UW Admissions Blog titled, So You’re Trying to Park at UW, published in 2020, warns students that “parking gets expensive,” you should “only park on campus if you’re going to be there for a short amount of time,” and “don’t park without paying. Just don’t.”, amongst a list of other precautions and suggestions.
“Even with the paid parking passes, [parking’s] still impossible. Considering how much money I spend at the university, it’s an unreasonable cost,” Olivia Pittman said.
“Charge us to be there and then charge us more to get there? I hardly have enough money for food. Let alone an additional UW expense.”
For example, one student, Abigail Little, shared she paid $246 to park within walking distance of her dorm.
For students who are already struggling to make ends meet, parking permits and tickets are just another unreasonable expense.
“With the new restrictions on the parking, [the university] won’t give us parking but will give us 80,000 parking tickets for a spot we fought literally everyone and their dog for,” V Wilson said.
“I’m so tired. This place literally just wants to exploit us because of this [poor] economy – like we get it, you’re broke? We’re broke too!”
Additionally, students have expressed that for those who are also employed by the university, an extra layer of frustration is added having to pay to simply get to work.
“The fact that I have to pay $80 for a parking pass that isn’t even valid on campus just so I can go to work for the university without getting ticketed is absolutely absurd,” Sophie Fuhrmann, a student employee said.
Although many students support the fundamental idea of a “pedestrian-friendly” campus, many are quick to point out that Laramie’s environment may not support the movement.
“Even Monday when it was 27 below in the evening, I rode my bicycle to campus,” Blake Petersen said. “Why? It was easier, dealing with the possibility of frostbite and bronchial irritation, than parking on campus.”
Being forced to traverse the cold and harsh walking conditions to attend classes has caused injury for students.
“I have been a student at the university for 4 years and have had many frostbite scares due to the unavailability of parking,” Chandler Harbison said.
Many students feel as though they are inadequately informed regarding the university’s plans, and have difficulty following along as the plans are changed.
“I have heard so many different things,” Owen Wagner said. “You don’t know which is correct.”
Some students still support the Campus Master Plan and the pedestrian friendly approach.
“I’ve lived in Laramie all my life. Parking close to campus is difficult but that’s how it ought to be,” Madelaine McElwee said.
“Too much useful land is allotted to cars and space for them. Increasing the frequency and ease of use of buses around town in order for people to access campus car-free would be amazing.”
Despite some support, many still feel the plan’s ambition lacks logic.
“[Replacing parking with green space] confuses me, especially for sorority and frat row,” Wagner said. “I think it’s already a pretty green space, like, there’s a big field that’s there.”
“Let’s get rid of one field and get another field,” Riley Smith jokingly added.
A Need for Accountability
– By the Branding Iron Editorial Team –
In an attempt to facilitate an open dialogue regarding the university’s parking crisis, the Branding Iron first contacted the Board of Trustees for comment regarding the parking crisis on Oct. 10, 2022. They did not respond.
The Branding Iron then published three separate articles, over the course of two weeks, highlighting the parking crisis, ASUW says there’s “not really a parking crisis on campus”, Board of Trustees ignores City Council’s parking concerns and ASUW Senators voice concern about parking, while continuing to contact the Board of Trustees. They still did not respond.
To help students better understand the university’s intentions, the Branding Iron published a summary of the university’s 173 page Campus Master Plan in Nov. 2022, and at the beginning of this semester, the Branding Iron published an update regarding parking on campus, Campus parking confusion continues.
During this time, the Board of Trustees and those in power have remained silent.
To the Board of Trustees, President Ed Seidel, and whom it may concern:
The University of Wyoming student body wants to hear from you.
The consensus is clear and the students of the University of Wyoming have spoken.
We are livid with the parking situation on campus, and feel as though our voice is not being heard– and that if it is, that it is not being valued.
