Next year parking passes will go up $9 per semester, meaning an increase of $18 for each student. The extra revenue from the parking passes will go toward maintenance on various parking lots around campus. While some people may feel upset about the increase in cost, The Collegian thinks the maintenance is necessary to keep the lots in good shape.

Everything needs maintenance eventually, and usually, buildings and other new additions take priority. However, some of the parking lots on campus are in serious need of a some attention, whether that be resurfacing or just filling the potholes in the commuter lots behind Briggs Library. 

The other positive with the increase in cost is that students are aware of the increase now, instead of suddenly showing up when they go to buy a pass this summer. It’s also no secret what the extra funds are going toward. The funds go directly back into making sure the parking lots on campus are in good enough condition for students to park their cars. 

Many argue that there aren’t enough spots available for commuters on campus and that they end up circling the lots for extensive amounts of time before locating a spot. In all reality, while people don’t like to admit it, there are plenty of commuter spots available on campus, but the open lots are a lot farther away. They seem especially far when the temperatures are below zero and you have to walk to a class all the way across campus.

One step toward solving the issue of driving around full lots for long amounts of time is a smartphone app that allows students to see what lots have spots available. According to Parking Services, this won’t be available until 2016, but it would certainly make it easier to locate an open lot. 

While this app sounds helpful and provides a certain convenience factor, there are concerns about students driving around looking at their phone to see which lots are open instead of paying attention to the roads. There are already a lot of close calls and accidents that have occurred in lots for one reason or another, and let’s face it, texting and driving was banned for a reason. Phones are a distraction to drivers, and while some may argue that people will check before getting behind the wheel, it’s almost guaranteed people will start checking for open lots while circling campus.

However, since the app is not coming out until potentially 2016, there is still plenty of time to deal with the safety concerns and get the details of the situation worked out.