Photo provided by Colton Cook
By Colton Cook, Staff Writer
Throughout the years, there has been an issue on campus that both students and faculty would complain about. No matter what parking lot on campus, the lack of available parking spaces has been an ongoing issue at Susquehanna. As a result, there are many instances of students using faculty parking and handicapped spaces. In worse cases, they make their own space in a location where it is unsafe to do so, potentially blocking the road.
Asst. Vice President for Facilities and Campus Safety Christopher Bailey has heard these complaints and seen the problems firsthand.
Bailey said that Susquehanna does not need more space. Giving raw numbers, he said that there are 1,472 non-faculty parking spaces available for students and 1,170 students registered to be able to park in those spaces. This allows about 300 spaces to be available in excess. These may fill up fast on days with events, but should not pose a problem otherwise.
The main problem is with the people parking, not the amount of space they have, he said there is enough parking for everyone, but the problem resides in those who wish to park where it is most convenient for them; which is usually right next to the building where their next class is located. It also becomes an issue with inter-campus commuters that drive back and forth throughout the day for different activities.
There are many complaints about being fined or towed on campus as well. It should be known that the rules upheld on Susquehanna’s property are consistent with those in the state, and they only resort to towing when it is absolutely needed. Bailey said he is proud to run a fair system, in which he tries to make parking fair for both students and faculty. If it were up to him, there wouldn’t be fines at all; the school doesn’t use them as a means of revenue, he said. They are only used to make sure that people follow the established rules. In light of this, the school is often liberal with the rules at the beginning of the semester as people settle into schedules that work. Bailey’s highest priority when it comes to rule enforcement is to make sure that accessibility spots are used properly by those who need them.
Bailey shared some thoughts about some of the suggestions that he’s to fix the problem as well. Specifically, he heard about turning one of the lawns into a parking lot and another about tearing down Aikens to do the same. He said it would make no sense to do either, considering both the already excessive space and that it would be a waste of a well-treated green patch in the middle of campus.
There are some details about parking that are overlooked by most. For example, all faculty parking is open for student use from 5:30 p.m. to 8 a.m. during the week and is available all day on the weekends. If someone has a temporary injury that would merit a handicapped pass, they can communicate with the Office of Disability Services to receive one. If students are on campus late at night and feel the need for an escort for their safety, Campus Safety can help with that as well.
Bailey said that the parking can be adjusted over time as well. Last fall, more spaces were made available for student parking in the faculty parking area (Some of the rows around the drainage lakeside near admissions, totaling around 70 spaces being made available. See the signs in the area for specific availability). If it is decided that more adjustment is needed, they are likely willing to do so if the adjustment is fair for everyone.
Parking space is far from a new issue. It has been an issue on campus for years and will continue to be as long as students try to have the shortest walk possible on a daily basis. Every college has an issue with parking, especially urban ones, so it is important to find the balance that our college needs. It may not be fun to park out by Sassafras, but it’s necessary for our system to work.
To quote Christopher Bailey directly, “We try and maintain a parking program that provides reasonable access and enforce our policies as transparently as possible. If you look at our current permit holders and compare it to our inventory of spaces on campus, there is at least one parking space available for every permit holder.”
The rules and regulations regarding parking on campus, including Traffic Rules, Rule Enforcement, and Penalties, can be found here: https://www.susqu.edu/campus-life/our-campus-and-location/campus-safety/motor-vehicle-traffic-parking-regulations/.
Want to contact Christopher Bailey with any questions? Reach out to him at baileycj@susqu.edu.
