The iconic McDaniel Quad could be given a new look as student’s petition for it to be turned into a new parking lot. With the ongoing campaign for more parking spots for drivers on campus, the Quad might be the solution student drivers are hoping for.
The Student Transportation Opens Progress (STOP) group is a new campus organization specializing in the rights and priorities of student drivers at McDaniel. Efforts by the group are leading the campaign for a parking lot within the Quad to become a reality.
“We think that driving is the true fundamentals of our society.” said Troy Ota, founder, and President of the STOP group. “It’s a shame how painful it can be for students to park on campus, and we just want to help fix that.”
The creation of a new parking lot in place of the Quad would create more spaces for ANW, DMC, and Merritt Hall. The allotted area for the lot would be able to hold an estimated 18 typical sized vehicles, 9 unnecessarily large SUVs, or 3 gigantic pickup trucks with untouched truck beds.
Students across campus seem to agree with the proposal by the STOP group.
“Every time that I would walk past that area of campus, I would wish it could be replaced with another beautiful piece of tarmac.” said Bradley Michael Wilson, a sophomore driver.
Alexus Vröm, a junior shares the sentiment that more places to park would be better for all and is excited by the idea of having to walk an even shorter distance from her car to her dorm room.
When asked if the STOP group had any plans to create or promote alternative forms of student transportation, such as bus lines or bike shares, STOP group secretary Suzy Uki emphasized that it is the group’s belief that all students should be encouraged to drive their cars everywhere they can and that students who don’t “are not cool” and “should go ahead and spend way too much money on a depreciating asset already.”
A final decision regarding the fate of the Quad will be determined by the College at a later date.
However, the removal of a tree within the Quad confines has also created questions as to if the project has already been approved by administration and if work has already quietly begun.
Should the Quad transformation project be approved and completed, the STOP group plans to campaign further for more projects to aid with driving on campus. Projects such as replacing bike racks with gas pumps and widening sidewalks to allow for students to easily drive from class to class remain high priorities for the group.
