Student Assembly

Dear President Skorton,

I would like to convey Resolution 14: Repealing Odd-Even Parking in the Fourth Ward to you. This resolution was sponsored by our Vice President for Internal Operations, Matthew Henderson.

The idea of repealing Odd-Even parking was brought to the SA this summer by a student, Max Weisbrod. Because SA members wanted to understand current parking regulations, and how changes to these regulations could affect students, we worked closely with Max, as well as Kevin Sutherland, Seph Murtagh, and Stephen Smith, members of the Odd-Even Task Force, to educate our members. I sent the Task Force’s report (which is attached) to SA members, and Kevin and Seph presented at an SA meeting.

Although this Sense of the Body Resolution is much out of our direct purview, SA members see this as a stepping stone to get more involved in the Ithaca community at large. This initiative, in particular, is very relevant for students who live in Collegetown, and are burdened by dangerous conditions, and parking violations, when Odd-Even is in effect. Thus, with the well-researched proposal provided to us by the Task Force, the SA decided to take an official stance.

As stated, the SA, and the community members attending the meeting, believe that a trial run of repealing Odd-Even regulations in the Fourth Ward would be very beneficial. It would allow the city officials, students and permanent residents of Ithaca to see if this new policy is effective, and make an informed decision about what the city-wide policy should be for the future. Even if the pilot program is not as beneficial as we hope it will be, this resolution is meant to encourage city officials and permanent residents alike to consider student safety when creating new policies.

Because repealing Odd-Even as suggested would make 80% of parking spots available on any given day (rather than 50% under Odd-Even), and would allow drivers to move their cars only once a week, students will be more likely to understand and follow the parking regulations (which are less confusing, and do not require busy students to move their cars daily amidst their studies, and winter conditions). This policy will have little effect on Ithaca residents, who likely have off-street parking already. Also, the sponsor of the resolution made it very clear that this policy would not have a negative impact on campus sustainability, because it would not encourage more students to bring cars- it just makes more of the existing spots that are available during the summer months available in the winter, rather than creating new parking spaces.

We hope that when this piece of legislation comes to the City Council, that members will consider the student voice when making their decision. I also hope that the SA and the city of Ithaca will continue to partner on off-campus initiatives, including parking, that affect the quality of life for Cornell’s students.

Thanks for your consideration.

Best, Sarah