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Sacrifice will solve the parking crunch


Multnomah can solve its irksome parking crunch through sacrifice.

Enrollment continues to swell, with 832 students packing the school's classrooms. Campus Services has registered 1,500 vehicles.

The city of Portland's Department of Transportation claims Multnomah has 10 percent more parking spaces available than the 25-acre campus can support. Before Multnomah can add more lots, the city wants better use of existing parking.

The surplus consists of 370 parking spots: 265 for permit parking, 72 for staff parking, 10 for handicap parking, 12 for visitor parking, eight for motor pool parking, two for presidential parking and three for dumpsters and a watershed. This doesn't include 78 in the married-student housing.

Furthermore, MBC security tickets cars parked on the north sides of Pacific Street and 87th Avenue. On campus, construction supplies fill 12 of the 24 spaces in the gravel lot, which were created for parking overflow. More parking will vanish as the campus redefines itself.

If applied, the following solutions will solve the parking dilemma:

  • Prohibit underclassmen who live on campus from having vehicles. This standard, practiced at other small colleges, would immediately free numerous parking spots.

  • People within the Christian community could drive underclassmen to jobs and churches.

  • Subsidize Tri-Met passes. Faculty, staff and volunteers can purchase TriMet books for half price. The administration needs to judiciously offer the same discount to students.

  • Use the space the school has rented from Central Bible Church.

    Congratulations to Multnomah's administration for working on the parking problem. However, it must go beyond talk to implement solutions, especially as construction swallows campus parking.

    Any Math 101 student can deduce shrinking parking and a swelling attendance equal conflict. The best solution, however, is students sacrificing convenience for the health of the Multnomah family.






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