Has anyone noticed, (and breathed a sigh of relief) that the isles are much wider and corners far more manageable in the new parking structure than those in the first one? How many times have you seen someone come flying around a corner, or need a 12 point turn to back out of their parking space in Parking Structure I?

Just last semester I had an accident in the parking structure. So, I decided to do a little research and here’s what I found out: Campus police logs show a total of 221 reported accidents that occurred on campus in the last two years. Of those, 59 occurred in Parking Structure I, nearly 27 percent of all accidents on campus.

With its narrow lanes and sharp corners alone the old parking garage is a dangerous place. Add to that inexperienced student drivers racing to get to class and yapping on cell phones, and it’s easy to see why there’s a concentration of accidents there.

There are more than 20,000 cars on this campus, and accidents happen almost everyday. Does that mean Sac State students are reckless drivers? Maybe. Or perhaps this is indicative of the larger problem that happens when you try to cram 20,000 cars into 9,000 parking spaces.

At any rate, this isn’t just another rant about the terrible parking problem. This is a call to students to take responsibility for our part in this mess.

It’s obvious that far too many of us drive to school by ourselves everyday. How many of us with a little effort could form some type of car pool or get a ride to school a few times a week at least?

Parking is a daily fight, sure. But we are a part of the problem by refusing to give up our cars and find some other way to get to school.

The campus police are trying to help. Officers often regulate traffic flow at busy intersections during peak hours. And according to campus police spokesman John Hamrick, several ideas are in the works to alleviate traffic congestion and reduce the number of accidents. One plan is to post a web cam at the busiest intersections on campus. Then students could check the web to see traffic and plan their route and drive time accordingly. Another idea is a mobile radar trailer that would warn students when they are speeding.

University Transportation and Parking Services, the bureaucratic arm of the school charged with handling this mess, publicizes alternative methods of transportation. They give presentations at orientation and Freshman Welcome promoting the Hornet Shuttle, biking and RT. A brochure about these options is available at the information desk and the UTAPS office.

While it’s good to know that the “powers that be” are trying to solve the problem, it’s not enough. Students can’t sit around expecting someone else to deal with this situation but never do anything about it ourselves. We need to take an active role in being part of the solution instead of contributing to the problem.

I know what you’re thinking. “Well of course other people should stop driving here, but not me.” We tend to think of ourselves as exceptions to the problem. Kind of like when you get back a paper with a poor grade and you swear the teacher has a personal vendetta against you. It’s not because, say, you didn’t study or anything like that.

Changing that attitude is the FIRST step in the process. Then you can examine your options and set about making a change.

Get a ride with a friend if you only have one class on a given day. Ride your bike if you live close enough. With a little effort and perhaps sacrifice, we can all make a difference.

I’ll be honest. I, too, drive to school by myself everyday. So here’s the deal: I promise to stop driving my car to school everyday–as soon as everybody else does.

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