One of the biggest complaints people have about Creighton is the parking situation. According to Public Safety, Creighton actually has more parking than what is needed, it’s just not in the most convenient of places for

most people.

Arts & Sciences senior Will Thomas disagrees. Referring to the parking lot as “a parking lot for ants,” Thomas thinks it should be three times the size of what it is.

Many students can relate. The University is currently looking at a Transportation Master Plan, and there have been a series of meetings to look at the various modes of transportation students use, including driving, public transportation, walking and biking.

The Transportation Master Plan will make recommendations for the future of transportation-related issues for the University.  The meetings are continuing through the end of February and anyone with an interest is welcome to go. Meetings are held at 9:30 a.m. in the Harper Center, room 2060.

As part of the planning process, nothing is off the table. Some might suggest banning freshman from having cars on campus.

“They used to do this, many years ago,” Sustainability Coordinator Mary Duda, said about the time before she was here, some eight years ago. “The university I went to banned cars for freshmen and sophomores. The idea is certainly not off the table, as a part of the

master planning.”

Many have already taken some proactive approaches to make transportation easier for students. Creighton has added more bike racks, and the city added the bike lanes on 16th and Burt Streets.  There’s also now a long-term storage for bikes available for winter. The shuttle has an extensive route, and recently worked with Public Safety to add the Jayride service, a taxi service; that runs beyond the regular shuttle times.

Creighton also hosts two Zipcars, which can be rented for as little as one hour and the price includes gas and insurance.

“This is a huge advantage for students that don’t have cars on campus – they can reserve a car for errands, an evening out, etc,” Duda said. “It’s really nice for undergraduates because there are no age limitations like getting a car from a rental agency.”

In all of the planning with transportation, Creighton is also committed to going “green.”

“When we measured our greenhouse gas emissions in 2010 we discovered that a very large part of  our emissions was transportation,” Duda said. “As a signatory of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, we’re committed to reducing our carbon footprint and part of that is reducing the impact of commuting for both students and faculty/staff. So, we’re trying to encourage the use of alternative transportation.”

Options for adding to or expanding the current shuttle service are rather limited, however, mostly due to funding. Service to Midtown Crossing on the weekends has recently been added, and options for bussing are also being looked at.

“Other universities in the area have deals with Metro Transit: MavRide at UNO and Pass To Class at Metro Community College, where students get reduced or free bus passes,” Duda said. “If this is something that students here would be interested in, we would definitely pursue it. Metro Transit would love to partner with us.”

For some students, there could never be enough that could be done to help with current transportation and parking issues, but a lot is being researched to figure out the best ways to improve this never ending problem.