Aaron Freyer
Parking on Drexel’s campus had been in a state of decline over the past couple of years. Ask many students and you would be hard-pressed to find one who has an easy time finding a spot for their ride. Music industry major Anessa LaRae is one of the many commuters affected by this issue. Instead of driving around looking for parking, she hands over $297 a term for the privilege to park in Drexel’s K Lot.
“I seldom park for free,” LaRae explained.
For a commuter, this can be a burden. Most commuters enjoy the cost benefits of living off campus, but these benefits can be heavily affected by parking fees. There are free ways to park on campus, though. On and around 34th and Race streets and along 33rd and Arch streets, one can park his or her car for an unlimited amount of time for free.
LaRae added that when she does occasionally park on the street, she typically has to feed the meter. Though this works for some students, many classes are longer than the allotted parking time limit. One option that Drexel could offer is a special “student parking” pass. This could possibly offer a reduced meter rate, in conjunction with longer time limits. The benefits of Drexel offering free parking are numerous. Specifically, commuter students would see another benefit to choosing Drexel, because of the ease of transportation to and from school.
Also, many of the “free” parking spaces have some strings attached. Some have two-hour limits, while others may range up to eight hours. The Philadelphia Parking Authority, as is common knowledge, is not a lenient beast. It has a sixth sense on writing tickets, as close to a minute after your time runs out. Parking in Philadelphia and on Drexel’s campus can be both a joy and a curse, but Drexel can easily help its students by implementing reduced or even free parking rates.
Aaron Freyer is a senior majoring in legal studies. He can be reached at [email protected].