THE FACTS: University Transportation and Student Government have started a new program for students that allows them to trade permits in to get shared carpool permits.

OUR OPINION: The carpool program is a good first step for improving parking on campus, but students need to give more feedback and come up with creative solutions to ease on-campus congestion.

With parking as crowded as it is, even a small step helps. And the University’s new carpool program for students is definitely a step in the right direction.

It’s not perfect and certainly is not the magical cure for all the parking problems on campus, but students can get some money back by trading their permits for a carpool permit. They can help the environment and ease congestion on campus. And if students cannot carpool in the spring semester, they can easily get the pass they originally had back.

According to David Gregory, parking services manager, 38 students have applied for the carpool program, with 19 carpool permits assigned. If students can find friends to carpool with, then they should definitely apply for the passes. This will help ease congestion on campus and reduce pollution, while also freeing up some extra spending money. And if push comes to shove, maybe you can make a new friend by carpooling with the person in the apartment a few doors down.

But again, this is not the solution to the bigger problems with congestion and parking on campus. Transportation is constantly looking at various studies regarding peak traffic, parking options and rezoning permits, but they can only come up with a certain number of ideas and possibilities. As Gregory said, student input is important and considered, particularly when it gives Transportation officials a fresh outlook on the parking situation on campus.

The carpool initiative is the result of Transportation collaborating with Student Government to adapt the employee carpool system for students. There is plenty of opportunity to change the system, and if students are upset with the parking situation, on-campus congestion or any other transportation-related issues, then they need to tackle these problems and start giving Transportation officials things to work on.

If students can and are willing to do so, use the carpool program, but keep pushing for the parking reforms that are needed. You waste enough gas when you are stuck in traffic — there is no need to add any hot air with pointless complaining.