A new policy has been implemented this semester to ease parking congestion on the UT Main Campus, but freshmen commuters may be forced to park farther from classes as a result.
Before this new policy was implemented, "K" permits, which are for freshmen commuters, allowed parking anywhere the "C" holders could park, which is the permit for non-freshman commuters.
Freshmen commuters can now only park at four specified lots. They are Lot 20, by Nitchke Hall, Lot 25, in front of Rocket Hall and Lots 22 and 23 on the Scott Park Campus.
"With the increased number of enrollment, we're trying to relieve congestion, and we have to pull some people out of those spots," said UT Police Chief Jeff Newton.
David Wahr, interim director of auxiliary services, said that at this time UT is "landlocked" and to his knowledge there are no plans to build more parking spaces.
With Lot 10, by the Glass Bowl Stadium, repaved, the handicap parking spaces in front of the Student Union Building and Lot 5 by Savage Hall open for parking, there should be enough parking spaces, Wahr said.
"We are trying to be as creative as we can as we look at parking solutions and facilities," he said.
The ticketing officers will be lenient until the end of this week, according to Sherri Kaspar, event and parking enforcement manager. Starting next week, there will be full force ticketing, she added.
"We are issuing some tickets, but we're now concentrating more on handicap and meter parking so that the students can get acclimated to the new rules," she said.
There's a program called Rocket Ride, which picks up students, faculty and staff from three locations off-campus, including The Docks in East Toledo, Westfield Franklin Park Mall in West Toledo and Wal-Mart on Glendale Avenue near the Health Science Campus.
The Rocket Ride idea originally stems from a referendum recently passed in Student Senate, said SG Vice President Kristina Karbula.
"It came from the idea of having ways to get to campus without driving," she said.
"We are also trying to get the Gold Loop, which transports people from area apartment complexes to UT," she said. "The more you regulate where people can park, the more you can predict issues coming from parking, rather than having free-for-all parking around campus."
She said SG was not included in the decision-making process in regard to the parking issues, but was given the opportunity to provide feedback from the students' point of view.
"I don't see a solution for parking anytime soon," she said.
She encourages students who live within walking distance to walk or bike to campus.
"That is why these apartments are so expensive [it's close to campus so you don't have to spend money on gas]," she said.
Be the first to comment on this article!