Contrary to the beliefs of the students and faculty interviewed in Avital Abramov’s June 7 piece, “Students, faculty frustrated with high parking costs, limited permit access,” UCLA should not increase parking availability or decrease parking fees.

In Los Angeles’s sea of sprawl, Westwood stands out as an island of walkability. Its tight downtown, UCLA’s campus and the vast majority of undergrad housing all exist within a one-mile radius. As a result of this density, in 2025, only about 1.1% of students living on campus drove to or from their campus destinations, and less than 25% of off-campus students did the same.

Facilities for driving and parking benefit few in the UCLA community and come with extremely high costs. A 2026 UCLA study found that constructing a single aboveground parking space in LA costs roughly $45,000, while a single underground parking space in LA costs around $65,000. On top of their shocking price tag, UCLA’s 22,000 parking spots take up space that could be put to better use, including housing, recreation areas and classrooms.

More broadly, LA has famously bad traffic, terrible smog and a high number of fatal traffic collisions each year. In 2025, LA saw 290 fatal collisions, including 150 involving pedestrians. The economic, social and environmental tolls of driving – and its requisite counterpart, parking – are staggering.

Given these extensive negative externalities and the high value of land in LA, charging a high price for the privilege of parking on UCLA’s campus is entirely reasonable.

Rather than subsidize driving, UCLA should invest in better means of transportation. Coordinated policies between the university, Westwood Village and city and regional governments have reduced and can continue to reduce car dependency in this eminently walkable, bikeable and scooter-friendly area that is well-served by public transit. Bruin U-Pass is a perfect example of that coordination. Metro Bike Share is similarly a good idea, but it needs investment and expansion.

The goal in Westwood should not be more parking or more permits, but less driving and fewer cars.

Ethan Bull is a Westwood resident and member of the class of 2029 at UCLA School of Law.