Can parking problems be solved with a parking ramp?

Groans about on-campus parking are nothing new to UND. But solutions to this recurring problem may be on the horizon.

A study group chaired by Douglas Munski of the Geography department has been formed to evaluate the feasibility of building a three to four level parking facility in the gravel S lot that sits behind the Tabula Coffee House.

One main questions remains.

"Can we, or can we not afford a 1,000 spot parking ramp?" Munski said.

That is one of the many questions the committee hopes to answer in the coming months.

The idea for a parking garage was formally introduced when UND hired Walker Parking Consultants of Minneapolis, Minn. to evaluate the weaknesses of parking and transportation on campus.

Part of their evaluation suggested that the current shuttle bus system is in need of significant improvement, something Student Body President Adam Baker agrees with.

Baker said the university needs a better shuttle system, but also noted some of the recent improvements made to the system, such as the heated bus stop at the Ralph Englestad Arena S lot coming this fall.

Another problem Walker Parking Consultants cited was the growing number of "perimeter parking" spots -new parking spots on the outer edges of campus -being made available to students.

The problem isn't so much in the location of the spots, but the availability of shuttle transportation from perimeter parking spots to the heart of campus.

Jim Uhlir, director of Auxiliary Services and a member of the study group, said the shuttle system actually creates more traffic. He said that the inefficiency of the system leads to students driving personal vehicles from an on-campus location to another on-campus location rather than taking the shuttle bus, which further congests traffic.

The creation of a parking ramp would hopefully open up more parking without taking away from the campus' green space and reduce inter campus travel. But the question of cost still exists.

"I think a parking ramp would be just a wonderful thing, it would help a lot of our problems," Baker said.

Baker added that if the idea becomes a reality, cost for the project, which would likely be used by students, faculty and the surrounding community, should not be paid for simply by students.