Dear UA,

As students here in Tuscaloosa, there are numerous assets that we get the honor of taking advantage of. From libraries, writing centers, state of the art athletic facilities, brand new dorms, classrooms and plenty of restaurants, bars, to shops in walking distance of campus. With a new Insomnia cookies opening, as well as a CVS so convenient on the strip, this area has become more and more popular. Whether students want to grab a bite to eat from Buffalo Phil’s, Moe’s, shop at Expeditions, Ellie, hit the bars, or the tanning beds we have easy access to some of our favorite places all in one centralized location.

However, something needs to change.

The parking madness that endures the Strip day in and day out is a cry for help. With limited street parking, busy roads that make parallel parking nearly impossible, and all of 20 spots in a small lot to make up for over 20 places to visit. This limited amount of parking is getting worse as more and more places pop up on the strip. Fearful of seeing our vehicles towed away in the Publix parking lot, we are forced to circle the lot of Wells Fargo and Little Italy’s praying to catch someone pulling out.

We witness rear-ending and bumper to bumper traffic trying to all cram our cars into one tiny space. We love the strip. We love the restaurants, the shops, and all the other things it has to offer, but please — we are begging. Give us more parking. The sidelines of the road and one small lot are just not cutting it. We yearn to take advantage of the glory of the strip and all it entails, but we don’t have the time or the patience anymore to spend 15 minutes or more circling for a spot, or choosing to park illegally and cutting our trip short. Please help us. Let us enjoy our midnight Sushi at Surin, and give us a 10-minute parking spot to run into UPS to ship something.

Still searching for a single parking spot,

UA Students