Opinion: Radford’s Parking Predicament

By: Amanda Farlow

Radford University introduced the Radford Tuition Promise in October 2023. An initiative that seeks to help Virginia help cover the cost of college tuition. It worked, really. I am one of those students currently here on the Radford Tuition Promise, and I’m grateful for it. I wouldn’t be able to pay for college without it. However, despite it guaranteeing my ride to college, there’s one other problem I have: Radford overdid it. 

Radford University overenrolled students. There are too many of us, and simply not enough space, utilities, or housing on campus for the number of students enrolled here. Students are being pushed out of their dorms, told to leave their cars back home, and limited to only one tightly packed parking lot off campus (if you’ve got nearly $300 to cover the cost of the parking permit). Imagine looping the Dedmon Center parking lot for 45 minutes after you’ve gotten off work, to finally find one at the bottom of the hill, all to walk back up in icy conditions, with wind and snow nearly knocking you over as you trek up the hill. 

If it’s the weekend, you might just be lucky enough to park in front of your dorm. It’s hardly a walk if you live somewhere like Muse or Washington. However, Radford University Parking Services is prone to blocking off random lots, at any given time, without letting you know. So don’t invite family over for the weekend, because they’ll have to park at BTs. If they aren’t blocking entire lots, they also enjoy blocking off singular spaces with cones. It isn’t in any order, like only handicapped or EV spaces, just sporadic and without any reason, like always. 

Without a heads up and without purpose, Radford University Parking Services will be there to cause a minor inconvenience to your day. Good luck if you get a ticket! You’re no longer allowed to dispute it unless you pay first. 

We encourage students with similar concerns to fill out our survey so we can identify where students are finding the most difficulty with parking and communicate these concerns to those who can help improve the situation.