The opportunity I am discussing is the opportunity to use electric razor scooters on the University of Florida’s campus mimicking the platform of Uber’s JUMP and Bird to promote mobilization and eliminate the need to park.
University of Florida’s campus and surrounding campus is not equipped with adequate parking for students and visitors inhibiting mobilization and this is due to inadequate planning and development, a huge campus, and large number of students.
The who?
The need is held by any UF student/faculty/resident/visitor who feels they can never find parking, are overpaying for parking, feel they aren’t getting places efficiently, are afraid of getting towed parking in some places, and who do not have the option of riding a scooter.
The what?
Who doesn’t face challenges when parking? Faculty and citizens with disabled tags, most of the time, do not face issues because of their versatile decal and amount of spaces.
Is parking a challenge all of the time? In some periods like breaks when everyone goes home parking is not a challenge because there are not as many people on and around campus.
The why?
Not all students, faculty, etc. will see parking/mobilization on UF’s campus and surrounding land as an issue. This could be due to their type of decal, their schedule, or their preferences. If the individual enjoys walking, long commutes, etc. they would not see parking and inability to get around efficiently as an issue. Additionally, I think University of Florida probably intakes a great deal of money from all of the parking tickets they issue so it might not be a problem they are jumping at fixing.
Interviews
Kendall Pikowski, 20
Who do you think faces an issue with getting around campus and parking on campus?
I think that most students have this issue because we live off campus and do not have on campus decals. Some students do not have scooters either and have to walk at least a mile or take the bus – which both take a lot of time.
Who do you think is not fazed by the inability to park or get around at UF?
Probably the president of UF and maybe higher ups at the University. Also, the workers are typically allowed to drive wherever they please.
Why do you believe some people will not see this problem as an issue?
I couldn’t believe that anyone in their right mind would not see immobilization and parking difficulty at and around UF as an issue.
Do you think UF is actively addressing and trying to fix this problem?
I know they made the field beside the education library into more parking to expand another parking lot somewhere, but even then, the other parking lot they are building is nowhere near me.
Sara Kelly, 20
Who do you think faces an issue with getting around campus and parking on campus?
I know that I did not have a scooter for the longest time and had to walk everywhere and it was so time consuming. I wish I could get those minutes back. But I guess to answer your question students and more specifically students without scooters.
Who do you think is not fazed by the inability to park or get around at UF?
Well my brother is the president of SGP (Student Government Productions) and was granted a rainbow pass. A rainbow is the ability to park in any lot on UF’s campus. I do not think he and other important student presidents are fazed.
Why do you believe some people will not see this problem as an issue?
If they enjoy walking places or enjoy taking the bus.
Do you think UF is actively addressing and trying to fix this problem?
I know they are addressing the problem, but I do not know that it is necessarily fixing the problem. The new parking does not fix the horrible traffic and it’s in a remote area kind of far from main buildings. I guess it’s better than nothing.
Rebekah Karish, 21
Who do you think faces an issue with getting around campus and parking on campus?
Any student, visitor, resident of Gainesville most likely.
Who do you think is not fazed by the inability to park or get around at UF?
Sara’s brother has a rainbow pass and so I guess presidents of important clubs. I would also think that the higher up faculty at UF has the ability to get around easily on campus and would not be fazed by the issue.
Why do you believe some people will not see this problem as an issue?
If they are not fazed by the issue at hand, then they won’t see not having parking as issue. I think that the problem is only really annoying when you have it and are actively facing it every day.
Do you think UF is actively addressing and trying to fix this problem?
They might be actively trying to address and fix it, but I don’t think what they are doing is an efficient and effective solution. I think they need to take more into account the amount of off campus students they have attending their University.
Julia Mszanski, 20
Who do you think faces an issue with getting around campus and parking on campus?
Students, particularly students who don’t live on campus or within a block of campus.
Who do you think is not fazed by the inability to park or get around at UF?
Students without cars. I would say because I don’t mind walking and do not feel it hinders my ability to get around on campus.
Why do you believe some people will not see this problem as an issue?
The campus is pretty closed off during the day so people without stickers can’t drive on most parts of main campus. I guess if you like to walk you would not see mobility as an issue.
Do you think UF is actively addressing and trying to fix this problem?
I would say they are almost passively recognizing the issue. They realize parking on campus is an issue, but they are doing the very minimum to add more parking to campus.
Emily Krotman, 20
Who do you think faces an issue with getting around campus and parking on campus?
Students with cars.
Who do you think is not fazed by the inability to park or get around at UF?
Teachers. I don’t really know their situation, but I would assume because I never hear them complain about parking.
Why do you believe some people will not see this problem as an issue?
If they don’t have a car.
Do you think UF is actively addressing and trying to fix this problem?
No. I see the construction at Norman but I just think they could do so much more.
Hey Emily,
ReplyDeleteI really like your idea, it's something I never really explicitly thought of but parking is always an issue here at UF. Your idea is very original, and I think your interviews are extremely in-depth and that is very helpful. Nice work.
Hi Emily:
ReplyDeleteI like your opportunity very much, finding a parking spot is really a problem that trouble many people, your suggestion could really help a lot of people. A lot of UF students have their cars and parking could be a huge problem. My friends are always worried about is there still have space for her to park. However, if your suggestion comes true, she could not worry it anymore.