All aboard the Roo Express

[ZachTheZip]

UA to Expand its shuttle service by 9 bussesThis should help stop complaints about our non-existant parking problem.I really don't like the $115 per semester fee for all students, since I don't use the service. I have never spent more than 2 minutes looking before finding an open parking spot.This could really come in handy for football games when people have to park all over campus to get to the stadium.

[Blue & Gold]

I'm with you about the "parking problem" being waaaaay overblown. I mentioned this a month or two ago, but I'll type it in again: I had a friend who spend her 1st 2 years of college at Columbus State. She then wisely transfered to UA. She said that an OSU student should expect a 20 minute walk to class. At Akron, it seems as if students whine if they have to walk 10 minutes. Geez. Get a life, people. UA's a very large school in it's own right; take a little walk and get some exercise.

[Zipsrifle]

This is just a typical response I would expect from anyone. Today, each shopping center has MORE than enough parking. Seriously, I don't ever think I can remember a mall parking lot being completely full, this is where the comparisons are being drawn. In addition, the Akron campus is about as compact as you are going to find. They have done a great job building parking decks to get the cars close to campus. The bus thing is a GREAT idea, but few american college kids have been exposed to city mass transit and like when I was in school, will likely rarely use it because it is a slight inconvienence.

[Blue & Gold]

You're right. Europeans take mass transit for granted. Americans take one-car-per-person for granted. How many homes have you seen with 2 cars in the garage and another 2 in the driveway? Good grief. One car per every licenced person in the household?! Europeans would think we're out of our minds. Maybe we have been.Also, you mentioned mall parking lots not being full. I think that's another part of the gripe problem. Most college underclassmen have never really driven anywhere but to the mall - and parked close to a door. Or to a restaraunt - and parked close to the door. Or to their high school - and parked close to a door. Or to a Starbucks - and parked close to the door. Their only experience is parking a good 15-second's walk from a door. So they get to a major university and have to park a 10-minute's walk from their class and they, naturally, think something is terribly wrong. I suppose you can't really fault them. You can only

[ziptrumpet87]

If they think the walk is that bad and don't want to hang around for the Roo Express, strap a bike to your car and ride to class after you park. I'm sure there are places on campus to lock it up.

[Zipsrifle]

Yea, a bike is a really good way to get around campus and the city.....at least it was 10 years ago. I lived in literally about 7 different places in my time on campus and a bike could get me from downtown to Summa in short order.