When the West Stadium parking lot opened last semester, many thought the University’s parking troubles were over. But students learned over break they were just beginning. The announcement came only a week before classes began that the South Stadium lot will be closed until March. Campus will lose about 1,000 parking spots to allow the lot to be repaved and West Campus Drive to be extended. Gary Graham, director of the Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation, told The Daily Reveille the initial plan slated the lot to be renovated over the summer. Because of delays, it didn’t begin until December. While there are fewer parking permits issued for the spring semester than the fall, many are still wary about the lot being closed while classes are in full swing. The University has begun a construction trend on campus – failing to finish projects until months after the initial deadline like the Graham Complex and the CC’s Coffee shop in Middleton Library. But if this project runs long, it won’t inconvenience the University’s pocket books. While students will be out of spots for the semester, it will be completed in time to sell expensive gameday parking permits to RV owners. Also, the South Stadium lot is easy to access for the many students who live in the South Gate area and often filled quickly during the fall semester. Now students may be forced to travel through campus to access other lots, such as the Ag lot on Highland Road or the CEBA lot forcing more traffic on campus streets. This is a situation the parking office officials say they trying to combat by closing off campus streets in the future. During the fall semester, commuters faced additional parking problems beside those created by construction. On multiple occasions lots across campus, including those near the Field House and Alex Box Stadium, were closed without warning to accommodate events on campus. With the loss of 1,000 spots on campus, continuing this practice of blocking off lots could create more hectic and confusing parking situations. The parking office should be more aware of the needs of commuters. Decisions about closing lots and streets should be done carefully and with students in mind – as they are the primary reason reason the University exists. Students are left without the luxury of reserved spots and gated lots. They should not be forced to spend hours searching for parking spots but should be able to get on campus and to class quickly. Too many recent decisions show that University administrators have forgotten that without students, they wouldn’t have jobs at all.
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Lot closure ignores commuters’ needs
January 17, 2007