“Parking Stresses Me Out”
By: Montana Stephens
The University of New England cannot come up with a final solution
Parking is one thing that no one thinks is a problem until they are faced with finding a spot. The University of New England (UNE) has 16 parking lots throughout campus. People may think there’s plenty of parking lots but finding a spot is less than ideal.
The Biddeford campus set up according to the University of New England website.
There are various designated parking lots for faculty, commuters, and residents. But, that does not always mean there will be ideal parking. Due to the change this year allowing residents to park in commuter lots on weekends. The residents may not always move their cars when they are supposed to leaving commuters to wander around parking lots to find a spot.
Junior commuter student, Mackenzie Mobley, said: “I don’t want to park in the forum for a class here [Decary].” Facing the problem with residents leaving their cars in the commuter parking lots.
Chad Stevens, assistant director of security at UNE as of January 2019, mentioned: “Another big thing we added that people may or not be aware of is the safe ride bus transporting throughout the day across campus.”
Now it may be that Mackenzie among other commuters, does not realize they have this opportunity to get a ride to the other side of campus. Or it could be the matter that safe ride only goes to the forum and the campus center from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. which is not where most classes take place. Then goes through 12 spots throughout campus after 3:30 p.m. till 11 p.m.
But a few other residential students also feel there should be more parking lots closer to the buildings.
Sophomore resident, Izzy Kennedy believes there is not enough parking and there should be parking lots closer to residential buildings other than the lots beside Sokokis.
Along with junior resident Pat Shenna who said, “We need spots over here [Northeast side of campus] on campus, I need to be able to go to class and then drive over to practice.”
Susan Farady, Assistant Professor of the Marine Programs, disagrees with adding more parking lots to campus: “I am not a big fan about more structures and asphalt. It’s not good. We are not that big that we need more structures. I don’t want a big ole parking garage.”
Farady looks at it from the environmental standpoint and knows that asphalt and parking garages mean more permeable grounds. This means an increase of non-point runoff from the school into the coast. In addition too, harming the environment and going against UNE’s school quote, “Innovation for a Healthier Planet” according to the official school website which is not something the school wants to do.
Undergraduate Student Government (USG) junior member Haleigh Kology added some input on the matter: “It was a lot worse, but it still sucks. But there is no way to add more parking lots. We have tried to have designated parking spots, but it just doesn’t work.”
USG is not alone in deciding how the parking lots are set up. They cooperate with; Alethea Cariddi who is in charge of sustainability, Maria Goodman from Student Affairs, and Timothy Brienza who is head of facilities. In addition to security who help come up with ideas that could lead to changes in the parking lots.
Stevens commented on the matter and said, “If we would make a new parking lot or garage it would be over here [by the Forum].”
So the possible solution of creating more parking lots has come up many times but the Transportation Committee finds, in the end, it would not be as beneficial as capping the number of students that are allowed to bring cars to campus.
In recent years the committee has come up with capping the number of residential students that can bring cars to campus. This may be a better solution for the school but many students feel freshmen should not have the option at all to bring their car on campus.
Even though according to Stevens, “Admissions is using that as a selling point.”
UNE is one of few schools that allow freshmen to bring cars to campus and this enables the school to use it to their advantage. Freshmen may be allowed to bring a car to campus but they may not get a parking spot. The capping system is set up so seniors have priority to buy a parking permit and then the remaining tickets trickle down through the grades to freshmen.
“It’s not an easy fix, it’s going to be bad no matter what.” – Mobily
