Letter to the Editor Responding to “Parking is but one issue at AUC” by Yasmin Hashim (Caravan, Monday, October 7, 2013 at P. 7)

Yasmin Hashim’s article about parking problems and policies at the New Cairo campus leaves out a critical fact: AUC’s parking policy provides that AUCians who carpool park for free.

Ms. Hashim complains about having to pay 5 LE for parking and complains about what she contends are too few or insufficiently convenient parking spaces, but a main purpose of providing free parking for carpoolers is to enable one car to do the work of two, three or four cars and thus drastically reduce the number of cars searching for parking spaces each morning.

According to an AUC transportation survey conducted in the spring of 2012, only 30% of AUCians commuted to the New Cairo campus by private car, while the other 70% take the bus. The 30% who drive not only contribute to further clogging Cairo’s already congested roads, but account for 78% of the greenhouse gas emissions (cause of global warming) resulting from commuting to the New Cairo campus. The 70% who take the bus are responsible for only 22% of the greenhouse gas emissions. All of this is set forth in more detail in AUC’s soon-to-be-issued “Carbon Footprint 2.0” report.

Carpooling is a well-known strategy for reducing traffic congestion, reducing the need for parking spaces and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Instead of complaining about having to walk too far from her parking space to her first class in the morning, Ms. Hashim might consider getting together with friends to carpool to AUC. Not only will Ms. Hashim and her friends save petrol, help the environment and park for free, but if enough AUCians make the switch to carpooling, it will be much, much easier to find parking spaces.