Frustration and chaos were among the many things on the minds of faculty and students as everyone struggled to find parking spots on the first day of class.
Many, including senior Patrick Havird, were delayed getting to class due to the excessive amount of traffic on campus throughout the day even after efforts by the university to thin out the constant stream with traffic directors and other personnel.
“I went to campus 30 minutes early for my 8 a.m. class and it was still packed,” said Havird, a senior marketing major from Greenville, S.C. “I normally park in one of the lots next to my fraternity house but both of those were filled, even after I drove around them a second time and still didn’t find a spot, only to find a spot out towards the law school. After the 10-minute walk, I finally made it to my class about five minutes late, which is obviously frustrating, especially on the first day of class.”
Havird said that fixing the parking situation could start with both the students and the university.
“I think the students can help out with this by commuting together with roommates whenever possible, but the school should really look into having more people use the park and ride option to get to campus. Both of those would be great starts to help lower the traffic.”
Elizabeth Tyson also had trouble finding a parking spot Monday and expressed her displeasure.
“I tried parking in the Tad Pad parking lot where I usually park, but it was filled and I had
Wto keep driving around campus for quite a few minutes,” said Tyson, a junior hospitality management mWajor from Richmond, Va. “I finally found a spot near the Residential College but was still five minutes late for class. We really need another parking lot.”
Many students took to social media to express their displeasure with the new parking policies and the problems they have caused.
