This past month, Monmouth University (MU) students have been discussing the overflowed parking lots and the traffic concerns around campus. The Woods Theatre parking lot is currently undergoing new paving which was thought to be halted until the end of the semester, causing students with classes in the building to have no parking. Additionally, on March 26 MU’s previous president, President Emeritus Grey J. Dimenna passed away following a motorcycle accident. Just five days later, on March 31, President Patrick Leahy sent out an email about the death of a student which was the result of a motor vehicle accident. Thus, bringing up concerns about healthy habits in terms of traffic safety.
When asked if driving on and off campus has gotten better or worse since their freshmen year, one editor replied, “Absolutely 100% worse. Parking lots closing, more reckless driving, and overcrowded parking lots before the closures.”
Another editor expressed the same concerns, especially as a commuter student. “I commute every day to and from campus and it’s actually a nightmare. Not only am I tailgated all the time for doing the actual speed limit but this campus is terrible with parking. It doesn’t matter how early I get here there’s never any spots. So I risk my life getting here only to be faced with the last spot in the parking lot.”
There is also the fear of being late to class especially when in some cases, tardies count as an absence for certain professors. This can make driving to campus even more stressful and concerning when our grades and scholarships could be on the line. One editor said, “I end up parking very far or not where I’m supposed to because of people driving recklessly and parking unfairly at school, and Long Branch is just a mess to drive around.”
Another editor explained how getting to campus early has helped combat this issue. “I always get to campus way earlier so that I get a good parking spot because if you’re there within 15 minutes of class starting, then you’ll have to park in the back. Also, I live in the Bluffs and throughout this year, there’s been so much roadwork on the route I take to school, which has been so annoying. The parking situation definitely stresses me out a lot.”
One editor mentioned that the campus events are what throw off the parking dynamic. “Don’t even get me started on Accepted Students Day. There are not nearly enough parking spots for the regular students let alone Monmouth prospects and their families. Between that and the on-campus students in the lots, it’s just not good. It’s just super frustrating knowing I have a 25 minute commute and some students have a five minute walk and still take their cars.”
These concerns need to be addressed by the University in order for students to have a safer and more effective learning environment. When asked if there’s more that MU can be doing to ensure that students feel safe, one editor said, “I definitely think there could be more done on campus to keep students feeling safe when it comes to traffic safety. The parking lot in front of the student center is so small that it’s difficult to fit two cars when turning in and out of the lanes. I think making it bigger/adding more spots would make it better. Obviously, that’s hard to do so I guess another thing they could do is make sure there are limited cars in the lot. Kind of controversial, but MUPD should make sure only the commuter cars are in the lot.”
Another editor expressed concern for the spots in the lots saying that not all are being taken by students. “I think we should definitely have more safety officers and just try not to block off spots. The reason people park illegally is because maintenance workers are taking student spots and blocking off spots for little to no reason,” the editor said.
With the end of the semester approaching it’s clear next year’s parking and traffic situations on and around campus will have to be addressed in order for future Monmouth students to prosper academically.
