The University completed the renovation of the commuter parking lot just in time for the fall semester classes.
This September, commuters were welcomed with a freshly paved and completely rebuilt parking lot. The main parking lot near the Multipurpose Activity Center (MAC) had undergone a complete makeover during the summer to better serve the University’s commuters and guests.
By installing better lighting and adding more sidewalks, the University’s goal was to improve efficiency and safety for the students, according to Patti Swannack, Vice President of Administrative Services. The parking lot previously had fewer sidewalks and students were forced to walk in between cars rushing to find parking spots.
An immediately obvious change for students who used the parking lot last year is the direction of the parking spaces; they now face in the opposite direction.
“The previous parking lot did not allow for two way traffic in each lane,” Swannack said. “The new lot is more efficient in that students can turn down the lane where they want to park rather than have to circle the entire main lot.”
The lot held approximately 1,000 vehicles and that number has not changed but the administration made an effort to give students more parking.
“We actually moved about 60 employees to other parking areas to make more room for students,” Swannack said.
This effort seems to have made a positive impact. According to Nenil Mathurin, the valet parking manager, the number of cars valeted on the first day of school dropped from last year.
“This year it was less,” Mathurin said. They valeted 25 cars on Wednesday, September 7 compared to 50 or 60 per day last year.
Mike McNamara, a first year student, said he had to valet on Wednesday. “They took my car and I picked the keys up at the booth,” he said. McNamara described the lot as, “easy to get in but looks crowded a lot.” He did manage to find a parking space on Thursday.
Emily Fiore, a junior, returned this year thinking there would be more parking than before. “It’s easier to get around but still just as full,” she said. Fiore added that the parking lot was “better” and was glad they “took out the speed bumps which were annoying.”
Cristina Marzilla, a senior and commuter, thinks although the lot looks nice, it does not accommodate commuters any better than before.
“Finding a spot still remains a problem, as it has been for the last three years,” Marzilla said. “I don’t understand why MU would redo the parking lot and not make an effort to create more parking spaces when they know that commuters incur this difficulty on a daily basis.”
Senior Ciara Bednarczyk who has been using the commuter parking lot for two years, is satisfied with the new parking lot. “I absolutely hated circling around the old parking lot because there was only one direction you can go in. It didn’t make any sense. Now I can go left or right if I want to,” Bednarczyk said.
The road connecting the large commuter parking lot next to the MAC and the parking lot behind Plangere Center has also been opened, making it easier for students to move from one parking lot to the other.
PHOTO COURTESY of Michelle Callas
