Recently, MASSPIRG released a report that declared UMass as a “transportation trailblazer” because of the innovative ways students are getting to campus. Instead of driving, it seems more students are utilizing the free shuttle service that runs from the campus center to JFK station, as well as the Hubway bike system located right across University Drive.
I think we can all agree  that no matter how we get to school, the morning commute is rough. We either brave the elements waiting for a bus that may or may not come on time, squeeze into a packed train car, or sit in morning rush hour traffic and hope we make it to class on time. 
One of the rough things about being a commuter campus is that students do have the added stress of ensuring that they make it to class on time after factoring in the process of commuting and parking. Does the university administration take all of this into account?
The fact is, in terms of how we get to campus, we don’t really have a choice. Parking is an openly acknowledged headache. Between the detours, potholes, and limited parking close to campus brought on by construction, many students who own cars seem to opt out of driving to campus to spare themselves the struggle that is finding a parking spot less than a minute walk from a campus building.
Take Junior Vicki Trinh for example. She drove to school all last year, however, this year she chooses to take the red line. “My earliest class on Tuesdays and Thursdays isn’t until 12:30, and by that point in the day, the only parking available is in bayside,” she says. “I feel like parking at braintree and then taking the train in saves time in the long run.”
And she’s not the only who gets a headache from all of the construction.
Due to my position as an information center assistant in the Campus Center, I can’t tell you how many people approach me with questions and complaints about parking situations. 
The numerous detours and parking lots located minutes away from campus tend to befuddle those both new and familiar to the campus, and many guests are unaware of additional parking options such as the Bayside lot.
Freshman George Laurent works at the information desk in the campus center and says, “So many families coming to tour the school come in so stressed out because they can’t find parking, and that sets a poor first impression of the campus for them.” 
So is UMass doing enough to accommodate the number of commuters that drive on a daily basis to the school? On an average morning, it seems the South Lot located right next to the campus center fills up by 9:30a.m., leaving commuters with limited options that are close to campus
In the past two years alone, three parking lots were closed: the parking lot under the Healey Library, the North lot, and lot A to make room for the new buildings that are yet to come. And while increased parking opportunities is a part of the university’s five year plan, right now the situation is still a little bit messy and nothing seems to be happening currently. The campus is growing, both in size and in population, and yet parking is decreasing.
Because of this, it seems clear as to why students are turning more towards alternative methods of commuting, such as taking the train or the Hubway system. 
Are we to accept that the morning commute is difficult, and will probably always remain that way, or is there something more the university can do to facilitate it? While the promise of increased parking is nice, it doesn’t necessarily placate the students that need to change their morning commuting routines to accommodate this.