As a student and employee of Bloomsburg University, I endure daily struggles due to the current parking situation. I live off-campus, close enough to be excluded from the "commuter" category, and yet the walk uphill to campus is at least 20 minutes. Those of us who work on campus, while contributing significantly to the university operations, are not granted parking permits because we are not considered faculty. The infrequent and unreliable campus bus adds to our woes.

Moreover, the exorbitant cost of street parking - $2 per hour, accumulates to a staggering $450 a semester for a "14 hour, full-time student" - is an undue burden on us students, who not only pay our tuition but also contribute our services to the University. I'm concerned that I, and many like me, are effectively cycling our hard-earned money back into the university's coffers for something as basic as parking, when it should be going towards our savings.

Bloomsburg University is located on a hill, which already presents physical accessibility challenges. The parking situation further hampers the access and mobility for its students, impacting our daily life, studies, and work. Furthermore, this financial strain could contribute to the already significant debt issue that our university is facing.

It is high time that Bloomsburg University revisits its parking policy and makes necessary changes to make it cheaper and more accessible, regardless if we are officially classified as “commuters” or not. We believe that all members of a university community, students and student employees included, deserve access to basic amenities like reasonable parking. We encourage other students, faculty, staff, and community members to support this cause by signing this petition. Together, we can make a difference.