Park-and-ride pandemonium

The oh-so convenient Park and Ride Shuttle won't be quite so convenient anymore.\nBeginning Sept. 6, students who ride the Park and Ride bus to campus will have to park at the Winslow Sports Complex instead of Bryan Park. \nDo you know where Winslow Sports Complex is? We didn't think so.\nThe Winslow Sports Complex, located next to the YMCA on Highland Avenue, south of campus, is two and a half miles away from campus -- two miles farther than Bryan Park. \nAnd while the distance doesn't sound so bad, there's no logic to the proposed decision. \nBryan Park-area residents have complained about the "danger" the Park and Ride presents in their neighborhood as well as the heavy pollution, noise and traffic that comes with it. \nAre students really going to park at the Winslow Sports Complex? For us, the shortest distance between two points is the most logical path, so driving south in order to go north just doesn't make sense.\nBut now that most students have returned from summer vacation, it's time to fight back -- and the fight isn't over yet. Bloomington's Board of Park Commissioners hasn't approved the parking lot yet, so there is time for reconsideration. \nOut of 1,100 students who use the Park and Ride every day, only one showed up at the public hearing during the summer -- IU Student Association President Tyson Chastain. As students, part of our transportation fee goes to Bloomington Transit. If the University doesn't want more of a parking problem, it should get involved in backing the students. \nPollution, noise and traffic problems caused by the service won't be solved by moving it to Winslow. The "not in my back yard" approach won't solve anything. By simply passing the buck, Winslow-area residents will encounter the same problems as Bryan Park-area residents, and we could be in the same situation this time next year. From there, what neighborhood will be the next "victim"? \nThe second factor is that the Park and Ride will transfer back to Bryan Park around spring break. Winslow Sports Complex hosts baseball league in the spring, and the increased traffic could pose a problem. If it's being transferred back in a few months, what's the point?\nOur suggestion? Decrease the frequency of the bus, but keep it in Bryan Park. Students can deal with a decrease to keep the good location, and the decreased emissions will be an extra bonus. Step up the bus routes on the south side and increase their publicity. This compromise gives everyone a slice of what they want and still gets people to campus. \nStudents have to get to campus somehow. Many of us already walk, but when public transportation is no longer an option, we will most likely opt to drive to campus in our own vehicles. \nAnd we just might drive right through Bryan Park.