Editor,
The recent Daily Lobo article on the construction of a new parking lot has drawn attention, yet again, to the University’s problems with traffic in and around the campus area. The public comment period for the proposed UNM Master Plan likewise yielded divided feedback on the University’s approach to traffic congestion, with respondents split between supporting public transportation and arguing against the expansion of a shuttle system that already sees students forced to endure long wait times and crowded conditions.
I’d like to propose an alternative solution: increased reliance on online and distance coursework. Some of the traffic congestion around the UNM area could be alleviated simply by increasing the University’s offerings of online or hybrid courses, particularly in high-interest subjects. My mother, for instance, is enrolled in only one course at UNM this semester, but she still has to drive down and park three times a week to attend class. Allowing students to take more classes online would ease the traffic burden at least a little, and allow commuters to spend more of their time studying and less of it idling in traffic or waiting for shuttles. Furthermore, an expansion of online course offerings could alleviate some of UNM’s classroom space crunch without reducing the University’s income, allowing student body growth without the need for building infill.
While the Master Plan aims to increase the number of students living on campus, there will always be those who already have a home and will be commuting no matter how many new dormitories go up. Why not make it easier for them to take the classes they want and alleviate the parking crunch at the same time?
Catherine Roop
UNM student
