THE ISSUE: A recent proposal would increase student fees by $10.40 to cover costs associated with night parking. This is to replace the proposed plan of charging students for nighttime parking permits. Two members of the DTH Editorial Board debate their side of the issue. View the other side of the argument.
The proposal to increase the student transportation fee by $10.40 would cost students but is the best option UNC has to cover costs associated with overnight parking.
Students shouldn’t bear the cost of construction and maintenance of parking decks, many of which will not provide many additional spots to students.
However, the fee increase is a better way to cover the costs of parking overnight on campus than the previous proposal of an expensive parking permit.
It was a smart move by student representatives to shoot down the former option of a $227 annual nighttime parking permit.
Many students who park on campus at night only do so for specific and unplanned reasons, like staying dry during a torrential downpour or avoiding having to walk back to an off-campus house late at night.
These specific incidences are not worth the full cost of a permit.
The older $227 nighttime parking permit option would have also disadvantaged non-students or faculty visitors who may want to park on campus, as well as prevented students — who already have their fair share of trouble finding parking spots — from parking around campus.
Although it’s unfair to charge students this added cost when they are not receiving any added benefit, it’s the best option right now.
