Parking rat race

With the increase in enrollment and replacing a parking lot with the new Digital Learning Center, finding a good parking space on campus is difficult.

UVU Parking and Transportation has been trying to meet students’ parking needs. They have increased the campus motorcycle parking this semester, have acquired land near the university that might be used for parking, and have proposed that a parking garage be built on campus. However, students still have problems finding good parking in the 8,000 spots that the university provides for them.

“Right now, we don’t really have a parking problem because we have a lot of open spaces,” said Steven Jackson, director of Parking and Transportation. “It’s just not close to the buildings because that’s where people want to park.”

Jackson said that Lot Y has plenty of open space. Students can park there with an orange permit, which costs forty dollars a year. A free shuttle transports students between this lot and the Student Center.

Many students have started riding scooters and motorcycles because no parking permit is needed for those vehicles; however, Jackson said that this may change, but not in the immediate future.

The campus has already more than doubled its motorcycle parking this semester, extending the parking in Lots G, P and L. “We have put some more motorcycle parking in Lot Y, which is by the bus stop, and it is an area that is not being used,” said Jackson. “It may be far away, but again, you have the shuttle bus that takes you and drops you off at the Student Center.”

Crowded motorcycle and scooter parking has become a concern with students. UVU student Reed Rogers said, “The motorcycle parking is packed, and it’s really hard to find a spot that doesn’t block anyone in.” Rogers rides his motorcycle to campus daily and thinks that the university should open up additional parking to encourage more students to ride scooters and motorcycles, promoting a greener environment.

As the weather gets colder, the Parking and Transportation Office will replace some motorcycle parking with regular parking stalls.

The university has acquired property near 400 South in Orem that might be developed into another parking lot. “I don’t know what the short-term goals are for that area, but I don’t think that they are going to have any building there for a while, so that is a possibility,” said Jackson.

Also, Jackson has submitted a proposal for building a parking garage outside the Liberal Arts Building, near parking lot N. “I put together a proposal in April for the garage,” he said. “It will be a multilevel garage with three to five levels.”

In the meantime, frustrated students should keep in mind that UVU Transportation and Parking are continually making plans to help make campus parking easier.