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Editorial: A modest proposal


Here's a modest proposal that could solve several problems that seem to keep cropping up, while giving drivers some control over how much they pay to park at ASU: charge for decals based on how far said driver lives from campus.

In other words, the farther someone lives from campus, the less he or she would have to pay for a decal. This may sound insane or unfair at first, or completely go against President Michael Crow's idea of trying to make this a "non-commuter" campus, but just hear us out.

Most people who live near campus really don't need decals. There are tons of homes and apartment complexes so close to campus that you can roll out of bed 15 minutes before class starts, hop on a bike and still make it in time. (Barring an unforeseen freight train, of course.) It's usually laziness that makes people like these buy decals, and making prices soar would encourage them to get out and get exercise instead of driving to school.

For those apartments a little farther out, most are a straight shot to ASU on a Valley Metro bus, which PTS is encouraging people to take anyway and has even been handing out free passes for. The buses even run until 1 a.m.

Of course, a large chunk of people will still want to have a bit more control over their transportation to campus. Such a decal pricing system would encourage them to move farther from campus (and probably out of Tempe), reducing the number of pesky renters in the city and a few of those wild parties that ASU is allegedly famous for.

As for the people who live on campus, parking costs for them will be so ridiculously high that the vast majority of residence hall dwellers will stop bringing vehicles at all. This will not only free up more spaces, but it will also give on-campus residents a little extra change to help pay for that mandatory meal plan. And since they'll pretty much have to eat every meal on campus to get through a couple thousand dollars worth of meals, there's really no need for them to drive anywhere, anyway. Ever. Which will turn ASU into a truly non-commuter campus.

What about those improvements PTS wants to make with the extra decal money, you may ask? Simple. There will still be a few rich students on campus whose parents will pay for them to have decals, which will fund a large chunk of it.

Throw in some discounts for people who need to drive to campus because of disabilities and you've got a plan that can't fail.

Or at least, that's our dream world.


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