At the start of January 2026, the City of Cleveland rolled out a plan to raise street-parking rates – turning what was once $3.35 per four hour session into nearly $11.

Confronted now with lopped off meters on the streets around campus, this abrupt change undoubtedly affects much of the Cleveland State University student body.

As a commuter student myself, this plan feels less like an improvement than a burden placed on students who have intentionally avoided overpriced parking garages.

I can’t be the only student who woke up one day and realized that investing in a parking pass that costs more than $200 per semester made zero sense for me, especially with my Tuesday, Thursday schedule.

For students like me, street parking was the practical alternative – a way to spend less than half the price of garage parking, without sacrificing convenience.

Now, somehow, that same street parking has become an even bigger money pit than the CSU parking pass we were trying to avoid. At least in a school garage, I’m paying a flat $10 for several hours. On the street, it’s now $10.85 for just four hours before the time limit runs out – up from the $3.35 that it was just over a month ago. There simply isn’t an option to save money any more. 

What’s even more frustrating is the complete elimination of traditional parking meters. I might be part of Gen Z, but does no one else find it more convenient to drop quarters into a machine than to pull out a phone, open a camera, scan a QR code, enter a zone number, type in personal information, memorize a license plate and input credit card details?

Is that really what we call “easier”? And what happens when a student’s phone dies – a parking ticket as a consolation prize?

This raises an obvious question: is this about modernization, or is it about monetization? The city’s approach to street parking feels less student-friendly than cash-hungry. 

As it stands, I’m not interested in paying more to park at a university where I already pay tuition – especially when I’m only on campus two days a week and forced into a frustrating digital process every single time I park.

Street parking used to be a solution. Now, it’s just another problem.