Alexis Friedman / The Hofstra Chronicle

It’s natural for students to complain about inconveniences on campus. From food to professors, there’s always something to grumble about. No university is perfect, and Hofstra isn’t an outlier, but one of the most common complaints heard on campus is that there aren’t enough parking spots. 

Parking is incredibly important for a university where nearly half of the students are commuters and hundreds of residents have cars. It can be cold or rainy, and walking across the 240-acre campus isn’t always ideal. Finding a place to park on campus shouldn’t be difficult – and it’s not. 

Is there a parking lot in front of every academic building? No, but you can find parking within a five to 10 minute walk anywhere. We have a beautiful and incredibly walkable campus. For a university split by a six-lane turnpike, it’s not nearly as bad as it could be – in fact, it’s pretty great. 

With ramps, nicely paved paths and three Unispans, moving around campus is a breeze. A student can find one of the hundreds of spots on the north side of campus and walk through the Student Center to the south side where they can walk from class to class. 

Parking on campus should reasonably only be an issue for commuter students, but far too often, residents park on the academic side in lots reserved for commuters and faculty. Even lots that aren’t reserved for commuters are filled with residents who drive to the Student Center rather than walking less than half-mile (at most), which likely takes less time than getting in a car and driving. 

In addition to parking being accessible, it’s free – a privilege not afforded to students at many other universities. 

There are very few obstacles to residents walking to class, regardless of where they live on campus. Even a student living in one of the farthest houses in Colonial Square can get to the Student Center with ease. A ten-minute walk or a two-minute bike ride can get you right to the center of campus from just about anywhere. 

Even for commuter students, finding a place to park shouldn’t be too difficult. Right out the doors to the Student Center, there are hundreds of parking spots, going all the way to the furthest point on the residential side, and many of these spots are always empty. If you’re having trouble finding a spot, look a few rows back, and it’s guaranteed you’ll find space. 

Not only are residents who drive around campus inconveniencing commuters, faculty and individuals with legitimate reasons for driving, they’re hurting the environment, their health and the future.

Emission rates vary from car to car, but for a student body that largely cares about sustainability and climate justice, there seems to be a gap of hypocrisy. Driving your car a walkable distance once is not detrimental to the environment, but doing this every day compounds your effect on climate degradation. If you have no other option than driving, your impact is not as callous as if you’re choosing to do something that you know has a negative effect. 

Walking or riding a bike is not only better for the environment, but for your personal health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends individuals spend more than two hours every day being physically active; in trying to balance responsibilities as a student, it’s difficult to find this time – walking could be a good start. 

As the United States struggles to improve public health and promote better habits, we are surrounded by unwalkable environments. Cities in the U.S. fail to foster routes where carless travelers can feel safe and are lagging behind our Western counterparts in both walkability and overall health.

Hofstra’s campus, in comparison to most cities, is a beacon of walkability, yet many refuse to use this to their advantage.