I was one of the “lucky” people whose parents allowed them to bring a car to school their first year. I love having the freedom of being able to go anywhere I need to, but most of the time I do not even want to drive. Why? Because I don’t want to lose my parking spot! It is such a hassle to search for one every time I leave. One thing that I have noticed that maybe could (and probably should) change is the amount of handicapped parking spots there are.
In the residence quad of Virginia-Snider, Shuttles, Peyton, and Mary Hay there are way too many spots being reserved for people who do not even park there. There are approximately sixty-five parking spots (not including the faculty area or the metered parking) in this residence hall complex. Out of the sixty-five, there are sixteen or seventeen reserved spots for handicapped parking. There are seven at the entrance to Virginia-Snider. Then there are two more on the Virginia side, two more on the Snider side, two in front on Shuttles, two in front of Mary Hay, and another two in front of Peyton. To make matters worse, this whole year I have seen one maybe two cars parked in any of these spots.
Yes it is the law that there has to be so many spots available. But the amount we have greatly surpasses the required amount. According to the Texas law, if there are between fifty-one and seventy-five parking spots in a lot, there must be at least two standard and one van accessible spots dedicated for the handicapped. We have almost twenty! Something needs to be done! Does anyone feel the same way?
To view the ADA Handicap Accessible Parking Regulations visit this website: http://www.adaptiveaccess.com/handicap_parking.php.
1 comment:
You never know when someone is going to need a handicapped spot. Last December, I had foot surgery, and I found the exact opposite problem. I had a handicapped hang tag, but I was limping around further than I should have had to because there were not enough handicapped spots near Dallas Hall or the library. I wouldn't complain about the number of handicapped spaces because even if you got some of those, there are just too many cars on campus, so it wouldn't make it any easier for you to park. The problem is: How to reduce the number of cars total on campus. Don't you think everyone should think about the environmental impact of so many cars? See my blog post about the University of New England and the free $480 bikes they are giving anyone who leaves their car at home. Do you think that is a good idea? How would SMU be different if more people had bikes.
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