With one day’s notice, the University announced on October 4 that its valet parking service with Advanced Parking Concepts would be cancelled on October 5.
“We were valeting 15 to 20 cars in lot 25 when there’s 75 spaces open in other nonresidential lots,” said Dean Volpe, Captain of the Monmouth University Police Department.
The University reached its decision by taking surveys of the parking lots every two hours, Volpe said.
“It’s nice to park next to your academic building, but there is sufficient space in other nonresidential lots,” Volpe said.
He mentioned on-campus parking lots that offer additional parking to commuters, such as lots 13, 14 and 18. In addition to these main lots, students are permitted to park in lot 23 located near Woods Theatre and lot 25, located near Athletics.
Volpe also said that students can call the parking advisory hotline at 7322635901 for updated parking lot information.
The University will continue to use Advanced Parking Concepts for special events, such as concerts in the Multipurpose Activity Center, Volpe said.
Furthermore, the University will continue to use the valet service in lot 16 for employees.
According to the 2011 Monmouth University Parking and Driving Campus Handbook, the University has the right to make changes and regulations without prior notice.
The University’s following of this policy in regards to its former valet service has left some students surprised, such as commuter Keri Roberto. “I did not see that coming,” Roberto said. “The valet was there not to be abused, but to be a comfort to students when the parking lot was a complete mess.”
Commuter Maria Carvalho said cancelling the valet service was a mistake, especially after the renovations made to the main commuter parking lot. “To think that parking is not an issue is honestly delaying any progress to make the lots work efficiently,” she said. “It is nerve-wracking to have to leave the house with plenty of time just to get a spot all the way in the back.”
Volpe sent out an additional email regarding driving on campus and student violations against codes and rules on October 7.
Some students, including commuter Demi Parente, said they have witnessed the violation of these codes countless times in various on-campus lots. “Driving in and out of the lots sometimes seems more dangerous than driving on the turnpike,” she said. “You have people flying by, while others are backing out, just to roll through the stop sign and get that spot. It is alarming, but that is what happens when ample spaces are not provided.”
