In 2001, U.S. News and World Report reported the average American spends almost a full work week a year stuck in traffic, rush hour ironically lasts almost six hours and the time one spends in traffic has increased 236 percent since 1982.
Of the more than 34,000 faculty, staff and students at the University, most would probably concur; if not from experience, then from weaving in and out of the cars littered across campus during the day.
By the time some commuters spend the 30 minutes getting to a parking lot, they spend another 15 weaving the rows to find that one vehicular haven.
Director of the Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation Gary Graham said the rumor that there are more parking permits issued than the number of parking spaces available is true.
“But, that count also includes night classes,” Graham said. “We have empty lots [during the day], because [students] are not all here at the same time.”
The more popular parking – such as South and West Stadium lot, X174 (located across from CEBA), Ag Coliseum lot and Hart lot (located next to Kirby Smith) – are full by about 10:30 a.m., Graham said.
He said students arriving around this time or late should be aware of all the parking lots, and not to waste time going to the popular lots, but go straight to the overfill lots — such as Alex Box, X116 (located southeast part of campus where Highland Road and Nicholson Extension merge) .
But Graham said most of the traffic tickets are not written in the parking lots, but in the center of campus and the faculty lots because students are parking in the prohibited zones.
Graham also said KLSU currently is giving traffic reports at 9, 10 and 11 a.m.
“We have a [traffic] issue on Fieldhouse Drive, South Stadium Road and Highland Road at class change,” LSU police Maj. Mark Shaw said. “We’re seeing students use cars as shuttles as opposed to other forms of transportation.”
Shaw said a lot of congested traffic is caused by students driving inside the campus – which according to the Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation is illegal on certain roads – to pick up or drop off students.
Number four out of the nine fundamental plans and design principles that form the basis of the LSU Campus Master Plan says the University hopes to enhance a pedestrian oriented core with peripheral vehicular access and ample parking. Number seven says the University wants to encourage alternate modes of travel.
Shaw said a number of options are being considered.
The University might shut down certain roads, such as North Stadium Road and Fieldhouse Drive, reconfigure certain parking lots and guard stations, or install a tram system.
These new configurations may seem a little complicated or superfluous, but Shaw said by decreasing the number of moving cars the number of collisions with vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians — according to LSUPD data, 31 injury related accidents have taken place on campus since January 2003.
Also, Shaw said by decreasing traffic, the bus system will be able to operate more swiftly and be more punctual.
Though Shaw said all these possibilities still are being debated, Graham said by fall 2004 three new parking lots will be built: a 400-space lot across from the East Campus Apartments, a 300-space lot west of the Field house and Natatorium and a 350-space lot at the West Campus Apartments.
But until then, both Graham and Shaw recommend students to walk, ride a bike or take the bus.
For more information on the LSU Master Plan go to http://masterplan.lsu.edu; for a list of bus routes and schedules go to the Web site www.lsu.edu/parking and look under transportation.