I am a student at SMU who is sick and tired of the parking on campus. Faculty, staff, and students alike complain daily about the lack of parking, as well as the outrageous prices of parking tickets, and parking passes. How can we be expected to park in designated spots, when those designated spots are consistently full, and unauthorized spaces are consistently empty? I know students and faculty who have decided to park off campus because it's impossible to find a parking space. I know that SMU is only so big, so finding more parking options is difficult. I can sympathize with that. However, to overcharge students with 50$ tickets while also purchasing a parking pass, which costs around 400$ when SMU KNOWS that there is a parking problem, is outrageous. SMU just opened two new dorms near the west side of campus and yet made no accommodations to expand parking options, and who foots the bill? The faculty who make this school run and the students who attend it. 

Some might say something to the effect of "You need to get to school earlier". While I can see the initial sentiment in statements like these, it is idiotic that students should have to compensate for SMU's lack of planning. 

If you research the SMU Daily Campus and then search for "Parking," You'll find an array of articles about students' frustrations, and yet nothing has changed. Go look it up; it's insane how many amazing articles they've put out. A quote from a 2019 article states, "Parking citation revenue covers parking enforcement and the campus safety escort service.... Any leftover revenue, according to Rhodes, goes into a capital reserve account for long-term construction and facilities projects." 

We are allowing them to fund future construction projects with our money, in a faulty system that they have created. And even IF they are putting it all back into finding new parking, we have seen nothing change other than a few needless gates on some of the lots. 

We are here to petition for three changes. 

1: To lower the cost of parking tickets to 20 dollars due to the lack of available parking, and the high cost of the parking pass in general. 

2: Make appeals in person (Scheduled by appointment) again, so that students who have been the victim of unnecessary tickets can talk to a REAL PERSON, in order to have an actual chance at an appeal.

3: If Parking Rates DO INCREASE, there should be a fully transparent email on why instead of being blindsided, as well as where that money will go. 

I want to be clear that our problems do NOT stem from those who are employed to give out tickets. IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT. We have to change the policies that they are required to enforce. There should also be no impact on their job security or payment. There is more than enough money to keep up with funding the parking services, as well as give students a break.

In closing, Two parking tickets equal a week's worth of groceries, and it's childish to pretend that SMU needs more money. With rising the cost of tuition, housing, books, meal plans, and all of the other micro-transactions forced on us, we shouldn't be punished monetarily for parking as well. It is OUR DUTY to STAND UP and show our support for REAL, TANGIBLE CHANGE. If you sign your name, you can help us do that, and let STUDENTS KEEP THEIR MONEY!