PRESIDENT OLDHAM AND PARKING – President Philip Oldham addresses students, faculty and staff at the open parking forum Thursday, March 24.
To address the issues of timing and finances concerning the new parking conditions that will be implemented this fall, a forum was held by President Phillip Oldham and Claire Stinson, vice president for planning and finance, last Thursday that was open to students, faculty and staff.
For the past two years a committee composed of faculty, staff and students have worked with a consulting firm to fix immediate campus needs.
“We knew we were going to have to do something to create a different parking alternative on campus,” said President Oldham. “The current situation just will not sustain long term either through access parking or through financing and current parking structures.”
The forum proposed the immediate actions taking place. Due to current needs of the almost 860 lost parking spots the $14.2 million project will accommodate 1300 new parking spots for faculty, staff and students. Aside from finances the main concerns proposed at the forum were the west perimeter parking lots that will offer the majority of new parking spots.
Several issues were proposed to the president of the university and vice president of planning and finances that are still being determined. They included monthly payment plans for faculty and staff, how parking will be affected by various events on campus, how each zone will be offered to users and what time the shuttle routes throughout campus will begin and end.
Although issues are still being determined Stinson said that in order to prevent further issues one of the goals is to keep parking at no more than 80 percent at one time.
The new project has had some negative views as far as its proposal to the student body. Alex Martin, junior, finance economics major, addressed the issue.
“I really think that SGA dropped the ball as far as informing students as far as what was going to happen,” said Martin. “We could have more input into this issue and at the end of the day fought more for students.”
