An overhaul of parking procedures has left some students and faculty bewildered, but University Parking Services ensures it’s doing all it can to accommodate demands.
Work began in early April, said Brad Leigh, executive director of business operations, who has responsibility for Parking Services during a time of administrative transition.
Changes include lot condition assessment, signage, ticketing and enforcement, hours of operation, lot assignment and demand analysis. The plan is to finalize most updates — including restriping and resealing — within three years, he said.
“We understand this is a challenge, but I’m sure everyone sees the benefit of construction for the upcoming years,” Leigh said. “We’re having educated conversations with those involved with planning and making changes to balance our lot capacity.”
Most significantly, confusing “as posted” lots have been transformed into more faculty and commuter parking to accommodate for lots demolished by construction and to make guidelines more concise, he said.
“We’re currently reassigning lots based on demand to make the best use of them,” Leigh said. “We’re also listening to a lot of feedback. But in the meantime, everyone is challenged in a number of ways.”
Dave Sennerud, a journalism professor, experienced these challenges during his first few days of returning to the University.
He was 15 minutes late to the College of Arts and Sciences luncheon on freshman move-in day and barely made it to his first class Aug. 23 — all because of congested parking lots, he said.
“I normally get here before 9 and the faculty lot closest to West Hall was jam-packed, along with both commuter lots,” Sennerud said. “I had to park out near the TV station after I found a BG policeman and asked him where to go.”
Now that the semester has gotten into full swing and all late parking passes have been disbursed, Sennerud said he anticipates easier parking.
“Things are just going to be a lot tighter for a while,” he said.
Junior Alexis Hatano, who commutes daily from Maumee, said her usual 20 minute drive to the University has become “a huge, frustrating issue” during the semester’s onset.
“Last semester it was OK,” she said. “But this year, it seems there are so many more commuters that I have to get up way earlier to drive here and find a spot. Everyone I know who’s a commuter said the parking is really bad.”
Students’ parking woes can be linked to several factors, Hatano said, including construction and unfamiliarity to changes. Later in the semester, she said she may decide to utilize lots farther away instead of circling in the closer ones, which made her late to her first class on Aug. 23.
“Today I got really lucky and yesterday I was really lucky, but luck usually isn’t on my side,” Hatano said with a laugh. “There are pros and cons to everything going on here. Usually the beginning of the year is chaotic, so hopefully as the semester goes on, parking will get better.”
Mel Hudson-Nowak, former interim parking manager, said she understands these changes may be frustrating for students and faculty, but Parking Services is “working with those folks to help them understand the changes and our intent for a more parking-friendly environment for faculty, guests and students.”
Students can see these changes in the updated parking guides available at the Parking Services Office and the University’s website.
“We’re creatures of habit,” Hudson-Nowak said. “If we always park in one lot, we’ll drive around that one lot and wait for a spot for several minutes, rather than going to a different one. Once people realize other spaces may be available, we can educate them on that availability that may be only a few minutes away.”
