The cheapest parking permit at ASU comes with some caveats

Photo by Zach Van Arsdale | The State Press Tempe FLASH Bus near Lot 59 in Tempe, Arizona on Monday, Sept. 16, 2019

By Zach Van Arsdale | 09/19/2019 9:11pm

Lot 59 is one of the busiest parking lots on the ASU campus, with permit over sales and students from other lots cross-parking there, but new frustrations have arisen from the changing of the FLASH shuttle route. For $280 a year students can park in the largest lot at Arizona State University, but there are some troubles that come with it and few cheap alternatives.

From the north end of the lot to Old Main is about a 14 to 16 minute walk, about 18 minutes to Hayden Library and about 21 minutes to the Sun Devil Fitness Center at just over a mile of walking distance. In order to cut down on walking time, the city of Tempe has the FLASH Shuttle which circles the ASU campus. With the recent route change, Tempe traffic and construction, students find that walking to class is faster especially with the time it can take to find a parking spot in Lot 59.

One alternative is the student U-Pass for $150, which allows students to ride the Metro Valley Light Rail and Buses. The light rail does offer free parking near its stops at:

1811 E. Apache Blvd

1215 S. Dorsey Lane

2235 E. Apache Blvd

While further away from ASU than Lot 59, they offer students a different transportation option.

Music from https://filmmusic.io

"Thief in the Night" by Kevin MacLeod

License: CC BY

Transcript:

Ali Hmidan: It is pretty bad for anybody that parks in lot 59.

Hayden Wheelis: Most days I can get a spot. Although sometimes if I leave a little late or a little bit early then it can be hard to find a spot.

Brittany Meyer: This parking lot is big. Still fills up really really fast. Sometimes I'll come in for a class, and I can't find parking for 30 minutes.

Ali Hmidan: Especially during the summer. It means we have to walk in 110 degree heat just to get to a bus stop, and then if we're lucky even catch a bus there. Oftentimes it's faster to just walk to your class, to be honest.

Cameron Chester: Finding any parking at ASU is difficult and Lot 59 is no exception. At 280 dollars a permit it is one of ASU's cheapest parking options. But is 280 dollars a fair price to participate in the largest parking spot scavenger hunt on campus?

Brittany Meyer: I have to take a lot of time to just find one parking spot so that can be kind of irritating, and I think not only do we oversell parking spots sometimes but because people might not be able to find something in their own parking lot they have to come here, and it just leaves no spots for people that paid for the spot as well.

Hayden Wheelis: It's less convenient for me because that's usually where all the spots are because everyone wants to park where the bus goes, but it's probably better because that means the bus can get it on its route quicker rather then having to come down here and then go all the way back there again like a tangent.

Cameron Chester: The Tempe FLASH shuttle moves ASU students around campus for free. This year though, the many bus stops near Lot 59 were combined into one stop on Veterans Way. The two separate old FLASH routes were also combined, and the route was adjusted to visit locations farther from campus.

Brittany Meyer: Personally I'm kind of a little mad that they moved it just because it's a lot less convenient, and we are the furthest parking lot. Having that over there was very convenient for all of us.

Ali Hmidan: It's not necessarily the distance as it is the combination of that with the heat.

Brittany Meyer: I also just feel like now that it's moved over there and has to go on public streets. It takes a lot longer for a bus to come around it all. So half the time I just walk to class because I get there faster than any bus.

Reach the reporter at zvanarsd@asu.edu or follow @ZachVanArs on Twitter.

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