JOSH RANNEY
Special to The Leader
If you have a car on campus, or have witnessed cars following people walking to their vehicles to take their parking spot, you know parking on campus is a dog-eat-dog world. Early last week, new parking signs were staked into the pavement in Lot 10, which is the parking lot outside of Dods Hall.
This lot is extremely popular and busy because of its proximity to the Williams Center and the fitness center, along with being relatively close to the center of campus. The lot fills up every day with students and faculty members alike. All day long, cars zip around Lot 10 to snag a rare open spot.
The new signs in the Dods lot take up 16 spots, eight on each side of the second row. The signs say that parking there is reserved for campus tours.
On January 23, the campus community received an email from the Division of Enrollment and Student Services in which it explained that the Office of Admissions moved from the Fenner House to the sixth floor of Maytum Hall. Along with this move, campus tours for prospective students started to run from the Williams Center this semester.
President of the Student Association Connor Aitcheson knows that parking is a big concern for Fredonia students, faculty and community members, but concedes that solving the problem of parking on campus, overall, is not straightforward.
“Parking on campus is an ongoing issue and concern with no simple solution,” said Aitcheson. “Although the problem is a complex one, it is crucial that the university provides adequate, accessible parking spaces throughout campus.”
Aitcheson noted that the new parking rules in the Dods lot are indeed a hassle, but will ultimately generate positive reactions to Fredonia from visiting potential students.
“While this does create a slight inconvenience for our students and personnel, I believe this new model will have a positive impact on admissions. The first interaction prospective students have with our campus will start off on the right foot without having to worry about finding parking spaces,” he said.
Parking remains a concern of his as well as of the Student Association.
“Students who commute to campus depend on finding a reasonably located parking spot with ease in order to get to their classes or work in [a] timely manner,” said Aitcheson. “I would like to see our campus consider a new approach to designated spots for those who may have a temporary or inconsistent need for accessible parking.”
From a university administration point of view, Aitcheson believes “the administration is always thinking of ways to address this issue.”
In the meantime, though, students like Lindsey Clark, a junior business management major, are still frustrated.
“I think parking was already bad enough for us and there were probably other ways to make sure that tours had parking,” said Clark.
She explained that the newly designated spots make it hard for drivers to find spots with fewer options.
“Most of the times that I pass by, they are empty which is a little disappointing when I’m trying to park before class or going to the gym and I can’t find a spot,” said Clark. “Lately, I’ve had to leave a half hour early and circle Dods for like 15 minutes waiting for a spot.”