Students struggle to find parking
Due to record-breaking snowfall in recent days, parking on and around campus has become problematic for Utah State University students.
“We understand that snow removal for sufficient parking is very important. It will take time for snow crews to do what they need to do, and they are working overtime to do it,” said Paul Sampson, assistant vice president in the office of business and finance.
Safety is the key issue when parking on or near campus, said Teresa Johnson, business manager of parking and transportation. She said there have been instances where parked cars were blocking the entrance and exits to residence halls on campus.
“The accumulation of snow has caused parking problems, and we do understand that,” she said.
She said when there are fewer parking spots available because of snow accumulation, students should use good judgment. Parking in the way of moving traffic, in front of dumpsters or other places that need access is not acceptable and violators will be ticketed, she said.
However, Johnson said if it is evident a driver could not see the lines designating parking spaces or an honest parking mistake was made, the USU police will be more lenient when handing out tickets.
Mike Brewer, a student new to USU, said, “I think it would be acceptable for the police to be more flexible about parking regulations while these conditions are so extreme. Until snow removal is improved on our campus, more flexibility concerning parking would be highly beneficial.”
He also said one big concern for those parking on campus is the ability to move in and out of parking spaces due to the amount of snow.
“With improved snow removal, we wouldn’t have such a difficult time getting around the parking lot when people are waiting to get in and out,” he said.
Apartment complexes have dealt with similar concerns regarding snow removal in their parking lots.
A manager at Old Farm student housing said, “We have cleared the majority of our parking lot twice in the past few days for plowing, and while it is very expensive, we will continue plowing as needed.”
Rhett Ferrin, a resident of Old Farm, said, “I can see why parking is such a problem this winter. I feel pretty bad for those people whose cars are completely buried in snow from the plows. That seems a little inconvenient.”
While dealing with the snow removal, managers of apartment complexes ask their tenants to maintain patience with parking inconveniences.
“We are doing our best to clear out the snow for parking,” Oakridge Apartments manager Dave Newman said. “We need our students to bear with us until then.”
Johnson said the office of parking and transportation recognizes student concerns, and would like students to rely more on alternatives to on-campus parking.
“Parking at the stadium lot is the best and most convenient option. There is always plenty of parking and the shuttles run regularly up to campus,” she said.
“Because of the snow, more people are driving as opposed to walking, which means I have to leave my house a lot earlier to find a spot because the parking lots on campus are so full,” said DJ Brookter, a junior majoring in speech communications.
Sampson said snow removal crews will continue working in the evenings to help clear the lots, and they are regularly moving the mounds of snow to prevent an overflow of water until more of the snow has melted.
With the unpredictable weather Logan has encountered, there is no telling how much new snow will fall.
According to the Parking and Transportation Office, a little patience and planning ahead to avoid parking problems are the best options.
-lexiek@cc.usu.edu
Recent Snow storms have led to the burial of many vehicles along 800 East and in some apartment complex parking lots. Safety concerns have arisen due to illegal parking in many areas around campus. USU authorities are encouraging students to take advantage of alternate transportation forms. (Photo by Michael Sharp)