Local Opportunities for Change
Opportunity #1
Title: "Lack of parking causing problems for students at apartment complex near UF"
Link:https://mycbs4.com/news/local/students-complain-about-lack-of-parking-at-apartment-complex
Story: This article talks about a problem that many students face in the areas surrounding the University of Florida: parking one's car. There is very little parking because of the high number of students with cars in the area. Finding parking is a major priority in the lives of students living off-campus because parking on the street will result in one's car being towed. The only option for many students is to park far away and journey back to their apartment.
Problem: The lack of available parking in the areas surrounding off-campus apartments.
Who Has This Problem: UF students, and apartment property management companies like Trimark who now have unhappy customers.
Opportunity #2
Title: "UF Health backs off employee parking decal price increase"
Link: https://mycbs4.com/news/local/uf-health-backs-off-employee-parking-decal-price-increase
Story: Employees at UF Health Shands were shocked when they received emails saying that the cost for a parking decal would be raised substantially. Even though these decals were already expensive, it was decided that they needed to be more expensive. Because of the existing parking shortages at the hospital, hospital works paid upwards of $300 for their decal. However, that price would be going up to over $1,000. Employees were outraged and the hospital is developing other plans to address their parking problems.
Problem: Increased rates for employee parking decals for UF Health Shands' garages, unhappy employees.
Who Has This Problem: UF Health Shands' employees, and UF Health Shands' management if employee's quit.
Title: "Lack of parking causing problems for students at apartment complex near UF"
Link:https://mycbs4.com/news/local/students-complain-about-lack-of-parking-at-apartment-complex
Story: This article talks about a problem that many students face in the areas surrounding the University of Florida: parking one's car. There is very little parking because of the high number of students with cars in the area. Finding parking is a major priority in the lives of students living off-campus because parking on the street will result in one's car being towed. The only option for many students is to park far away and journey back to their apartment.
Problem: The lack of available parking in the areas surrounding off-campus apartments.
Who Has This Problem: UF students, and apartment property management companies like Trimark who now have unhappy customers.
Opportunity #2
Title: "UF Health backs off employee parking decal price increase"
Link: https://mycbs4.com/news/local/uf-health-backs-off-employee-parking-decal-price-increase
Story: Employees at UF Health Shands were shocked when they received emails saying that the cost for a parking decal would be raised substantially. Even though these decals were already expensive, it was decided that they needed to be more expensive. Because of the existing parking shortages at the hospital, hospital works paid upwards of $300 for their decal. However, that price would be going up to over $1,000. Employees were outraged and the hospital is developing other plans to address their parking problems.
Problem: Increased rates for employee parking decals for UF Health Shands' garages, unhappy employees.
Who Has This Problem: UF Health Shands' employees, and UF Health Shands' management if employee's quit.
Opportunity #3
Title: "Four new temporary lots will open during UF parking garage construction"
Link: https://www.alligator.org/news/four-new-temporary-lots-will-open-during-uf-parking-garage/article_8400095a-d733-11e8-b9e9-c3594207da53.html
Story: The University of Florida decided to build a massive new parking garage on top of an existing lot. The lot that was covered by the new garage held 600 cars and now those cars have nowhere to park because UF has very limited parking availability. In response, UF is constructing temporary parking until the new parking garage opens to adjust for the growing pains of this project.
Problem: The extreme shortage of parking on the UF campus due to the construction of Garage 14, and a logistical nightmare for those employees trying to get the temporary parking lots functioning quickly.
Who Has This Problem: All UF students who have cars/commute, and UF faculty who drive to work.
Opportunity #4
Title: "Twenty-year-old UF student dies after being struck by a car"
Link: https://www.alligator.org/opinion/uf-should-put-money-into-rts-not-a-parking-garage/article_99cdde2c-b7be-11e8-8cec-c716f4e60893.html
Story: A student at the University of Florida, Denise Griffiths, was hit and killed by a car nearly a 7-minute drive from campus. The UF community and those who knew her are shocked and are raising money for her and her family to cover medical and funeral expenses.
Problem: Grieving friends and family, people crossing the street are getting hit by cars, if people can't walk around safely then they will use cars, adding to the excessive amount of cars already in Gainesville.
Who Has This Problem: Residents (and students) of Gainesville, and UF Parking and Transportation services due to fewer people walking opting to take cars instead, and UF Recruitment as students don't want to come to a school and get killed by a car.
Opportunity #5
Title: "UF should put money into RTS, not a parking garage"
Link: https://www.alligator.org/opinion/uf-should-put-money-into-rts-not-a-parking-garage/article_99cdde2c-b7be-11e8-8cec-c716f4e60893.html
Story: This article weighs the impact of UF building a new parking garage vs. investing that money into the RTS, the bus service that runs through campus and all of Gainesville. It says that UF and Gainesville, in general, have a car problem that should be fixed by reducing the number of cars through improved bus systems. Thus, parking would naturally not be a pressing issue because it would make more sense to ride the improved RTS system.
Problem: We have too many cars in Gainesville, especially on campus, and we don't have enough room for more parking, and the RTS system is underfunded so it struggles to help solve this issue.
Who Has This Problem: Residents of Alachua County, UF students, The University of Florida if it's rankings don't move up because of on-campus transportation issues, and the RTS bus system because it is underfunded for its task.
Title: "Four new temporary lots will open during UF parking garage construction"
Link: https://www.alligator.org/news/four-new-temporary-lots-will-open-during-uf-parking-garage/article_8400095a-d733-11e8-b9e9-c3594207da53.html
Story: The University of Florida decided to build a massive new parking garage on top of an existing lot. The lot that was covered by the new garage held 600 cars and now those cars have nowhere to park because UF has very limited parking availability. In response, UF is constructing temporary parking until the new parking garage opens to adjust for the growing pains of this project.
Problem: The extreme shortage of parking on the UF campus due to the construction of Garage 14, and a logistical nightmare for those employees trying to get the temporary parking lots functioning quickly.
Who Has This Problem: All UF students who have cars/commute, and UF faculty who drive to work.
Opportunity #4
Title: "Twenty-year-old UF student dies after being struck by a car"
Link: https://www.alligator.org/opinion/uf-should-put-money-into-rts-not-a-parking-garage/article_99cdde2c-b7be-11e8-8cec-c716f4e60893.html
Story: A student at the University of Florida, Denise Griffiths, was hit and killed by a car nearly a 7-minute drive from campus. The UF community and those who knew her are shocked and are raising money for her and her family to cover medical and funeral expenses.
Problem: Grieving friends and family, people crossing the street are getting hit by cars, if people can't walk around safely then they will use cars, adding to the excessive amount of cars already in Gainesville.
Who Has This Problem: Residents (and students) of Gainesville, and UF Parking and Transportation services due to fewer people walking opting to take cars instead, and UF Recruitment as students don't want to come to a school and get killed by a car.
Opportunity #5
Title: "UF should put money into RTS, not a parking garage"
Link: https://www.alligator.org/opinion/uf-should-put-money-into-rts-not-a-parking-garage/article_99cdde2c-b7be-11e8-8cec-c716f4e60893.html
Story: This article weighs the impact of UF building a new parking garage vs. investing that money into the RTS, the bus service that runs through campus and all of Gainesville. It says that UF and Gainesville, in general, have a car problem that should be fixed by reducing the number of cars through improved bus systems. Thus, parking would naturally not be a pressing issue because it would make more sense to ride the improved RTS system.
Problem: We have too many cars in Gainesville, especially on campus, and we don't have enough room for more parking, and the RTS system is underfunded so it struggles to help solve this issue.
Who Has This Problem: Residents of Alachua County, UF students, The University of Florida if it's rankings don't move up because of on-campus transportation issues, and the RTS bus system because it is underfunded for its task.
Hi Carson!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I like that all of your articles were related to the University of Florida. These is very relatable. I definitely see opportunities through the article suggesting money being put into the RTS. Even if there are more parking spaces, so many people need public transportation because they can't afford a car, so I definitely believe that would be an opportunity to look into.
Hi Carson,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing these articles, they definitely bring light to a couple different local problems. The article regarding parking definitely rings true to almost everyone that's ever needed to park their car in Gainesville, there is a definite lack of parking. I had no clue, UF Health had tried to increase their decal price, but I'm sure that had stemmed from limited parking at well, but if the employees won't go for it, that something you definitely can't do.
Hello Carson!
ReplyDeleteFirst off, thank you for sharing! I actually read several of these articles, as I found it interesting and helpful that they were related to the University of Florida.
Personally, your fourth opportunity struck a heart string for me. Many friends of mine knew Denise Griffiths, and are going through extreme grieving due to this tragedy. I agree with your section regarding who has the problem - people do not want to come to a school where students are not protected from incidents such as this, especially so close to campus.
Great job!
Best,
Caitlyn Torres
Hi Carson! One of the problems you addressed that really stood out was about the Shands hospital parking. I cannot believe that such a successful and innovative hospital would expect their employees to pay so much for a parking pass. I mean, these employees are the reason the hospital is so successful. They should be treated as a priority when it comes to their job, and I can't believe a different solution wasn't proposed before asking them to pay triple the price!
ReplyDelete