To the Editors,
After reading Mr. Fontenot’s article on why parking prices should increase, I wanted to clear up a few issues with the article.
For one, as a student, parking on campus should be considered a necessity, not a luxury. Parking is a necessity because safety should always be in the mind of the student and university. I believe accessible parking is a reason why Loyola is named one of the safest campuses. If prices were to increase, more students would have to park off campus and walk to and from school. This presents an unsafe situation that could be avoided if prices do not increase.
It is also important to note that, in Mr. Fontenot’s article, higher prices mean less consumption. But doesn’t a higher price discriminate against students who cannot afford to purchase a parking decal versus those who can? More than 80 percent of the students in our university are on some sort of financial aid. This is incredibly high compared to other universities, because our Jesuit ideals remind us why Loyola should work with the community, not against it.
In the third part of Mr. Fontenot’s argument, he states that less driving on campus results in fewer accidents. However, he is making an unsubstantiated claim, because there is no evidence to back his argument and one must question how many accidents occur in the first place and how many fewer accidents would occur after the price increase.
Finally, with the residence halls bursting at the seams and few apartments available (only 75 upperclassmen receive housing), there is absolutely no question as to why more upperclassmen opt to (or have to) move off campus. Students, particularly commuters, should not be punished with increased parking prices for living off campus, especially considering the fact that the streets of New Orleans are not necessarily biker friendly and public transportation is extremely unreliable.
In summary, in the interest of safety and fairness it is best for Loyola not consider raising the price of parking without concrete evidence of the benefits of such a change.
Sincerely,
Sarah A. Cooper
marketing senior
