Iowa State has made plans to construct a $7 million parking ramp on Central Campus. This is one part of a five-year parking plan that would cost $12.5 million. All in all, the construction project would add a 500-space ramp, a 160-spot parking ramp and 600 additional spots to the Jack Trice Stadium parking lot.

Sounds great, right? The number of students driving their automobiles to campus has increased from 45 percent to 65 percent in five years. Plus, the sour economic condition of the state won’t have any affect on the construction, since the campus parking division receives no state funds. It will be paid for by a $1 million reserve fund, parking fees and a bond sale. Even GSB President Andy Tofilon came out in favor of the parking project.

The only question left is – why?

Why do 65 percent of students drive to campus?

Why is Tofilon supporting a project in direct contradiction to the CyRide initiatives that he supported and which were ultimately passed in a student referendum?

And, finally, why make the people who need to drive to work and school – who don’t have the access to CyRide – pay more for their parking passes so an influx of college students too lazy to walk to and from the bus stop can be as “convenient” as they want to be?

If 65 percent of students are bringing cars to campus, that may be the problem, not the lack of space for those students.

Public transportation is readily available to a majority of students in Ames. CyRide is a fantastic system that is inexpensive now and going to become more convenient. Students will no longer have to dig out pocket change. And GSB executives Tofilon and Johnson supported this plan. But now, just as CyRide begins its transition, that way of thinking – encourage public transportation – seems to be thrown to the wayside. At the same time our student fees are being used to encourage CyRide use, they are also supporting a plan that discourages the use of it.

The proposed prices of parking permit fees would increase $45 over three years to $87. Stadium parking permits would increase to $57 over that same period of time. For faculty and staff, that increase would be even more severe. A staff permit would increase from $59 to $104 over the three year period.

Not everyone has access to CyRide; this is clear. What isn’t clear is why those without access have to now pay more so those who do have access can drive to campus.

The Jack Trice parking lot, however, is in need of additional parking spaces. Reiman Gardens has taken some of those parking spaces away, and if there is a dire need for parking spots on campus, that would be it.

Members of GSB rightfully raised concerns about the proposed parking plan, and hopefully those concerns will be addressed in greater detail in the near future. “Convenience” isn’t a reason to be pouring more and more concrete on campus for students to park. Going through with this project will only discourage the use of CyRide, which will only become more affordable in the next few years.

editorialboard: Andrea Hauser, Tim Paluch, Michelle Kann, Zach Calef, Omar Tesdell