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Is parking that big of a problem?
by Liz Hayes and Mike Frawley
news co-editor
and managing editoi
Talk on campus recently has been
centered around all the development
coming to Behrend -- the Athletics
and Recreation Center, the Chapel
and Bell Tower, the Research and
Educational Development Center,
the Eastside Access Highway:, and
the revamping of the residence
areas. However, one topic of
discussion that seems to he
concerning students is parking for
both commuters and residents.
On-campus residents have various
concerns regarding parking
availability and costs. Of these
concerns. the most frequently
expressed include the fees residents
pay to park on campus, the lack of
parking locations, the distances
students are often forced to travel to
find spots, and what many residents
feel is the administration's lack of
interest in the concerns students
Local schools show contrast in
parking regulations
by Douglas Smith
features co-editor
Penn State Behrend has a well
known policy on parking for
commuters and residents. However,
you may be wondering exactly how
the other local schools face the large
task of satisfying all those with
vehicles. Mercyhurst. Gannon, and
Edinboro all have pretty set rules on
parking, and some are changing with
an abundance of cars on campus.
Just for a review, Behrend has a
75 dollar to 85 dollar price range for
parking permits, with these being
available by the semester. There are
spots for residents, with some spots
reserved for faculty and staff.
Edinboro has a lot of information
on their parking policies on their web
page, but it may take a little time to
navigate to the right place. In order
to receive a permit students must
show a driver's license and the
vehicle owner's card. Students
receive a set of decals for $l5 and
must display them on the front and
rear bumpers. Additional decals can
be bought for $1 in case other
vehicles are going to be registered.
Edinboro contains four lots for
"V Ye pine to so many forums on
this issue and the only thing that has
changed is that the price (of parking
has gone up, - exclaimed Tanya Deats,
an eighth semester student at Behrend.
Residents have various suggestions
for improving the parking conditions.
One almost unanimous suggestion
\\ as to lower the cost of parking
residents feel that the $75 a semester
is too expensive. Another request is
to inform the student body what the
parking foes go toward.
Residents also have suggested that
specific resident halls have specific
parking lots assigned. "Parking lots
should he coded by building,"
commented Meeghan Trumbull,
another student at Behrend. For
instance. allow only the traditional
halls - Perry. Niagara, and Lawrence
-- to park in the S Lot; let only people
park in the Fast Apartments Lots; save
the Ohio Hall Lot for only Ohio and
,Alm‘ Halls; and, finally, allow the
suites to park in f3FF.
commuters with the McComb and
Lakefront lots being shared with
residents. The letter "R" on signs
around the lots denotes all residents'
lots. Each lot has different hours of
enforcement. The McComb lots do
have a sort of reserved parking place
for those with "M" decals, but these
students usually have 0 to 59 credits.
Residents at Gannon must park in
open-air lots owned by Gannon at a
cost of $35 per semester. This is on
a first come, first served basis. There
are about 180 spots available. For
commuters the parking war is a little
tougher. They must park in a limited
number of spots in limited
downtown areas at 7th and Peach, Bth
and French, 10th and French, and two
ramps on Bth Street. The cost is $B2
dollars per semester and may be
renewed for the next semester. In
order to settle who gets these
commuter spots, they hold a parking
lottery for full-time commuter
students and those who do not get a
spot go on a waiting list. The
employees of the school park in Erie
Parking Authority ramps.
At Mercyhurst freshmen cannot
have cars unless there is a powerful
Another suggestion offered was to
revert to not allowing first year
students to have vehicles on campus.
beats suggested that when parking
passes are given, first priority should
he given to seniors and then on down
the line.
Commuters also expressed
dissatisfaction with the parking
situation on campus. The addition to
the Erie Hall Lot two years ago greatly
improved things, but while it is not
as bad as in past years, there are still
problems. If a student does not arrive
on campus early in the morning, they
end up having to park at an extreme
distance from their classes. - If I pay
$65 dollars a semester to park, I
shouldn't have to park miles away
from my classes, - said Behrend
student Melissa Proha.
Ken Miller. Dean of Students. said
that he was not aware of anv major
problems with parking oil campus.
Ile said that the hitikling of the ARC
will provide another parking lot for
student use .
reason that they must have one, and
a letter must be written to the Dean
of Housing. There are 15 parking
lots that cost nothing to park in, but
are color coated for certain students.
However, there are a couple of lots
that are mixed between the small
number of freshmen who have cars
and commuters. There is reserved
parking for faculty and staff for a fee
in a closed garage, in case they
would like to have their car protected
from the weather. Mercyhurst is now
facing a problem where the number
of cars on campus may be more than
the number of parking spots.
The cost and restrictions to
parking at other campuses are a bit
different from policies here at
Behrend. It seems like Behrend
treats everyone with a car the same,
while Gannon charges more for
commuter students. Mercyhurst
offers a nice piece of protection for
faculty and staff with the closed
garage, but it costs a little bit extra.
However, a number of the
complaints we hear at Behrend have
probably been voiced at all four local
college or universities.
Fighting your tickets
P PENNSTAIT.
PARKING WOLATI
by Katie Galley only a very minimal amount of those
editorial page editor tickets that will get waived. tiCifiX:e MO SAFETY BERVICE
The Appeals Board will listen to the PENN STATE - BEHRENO
STATION FIOAO
Parking in the wrong spot at the arguments of everyone who appears ERIE. PA Me443,111/0
wrong time here on campus can leave in front of them, but most tickets
a student with a hefty parking ticket. given here on campus are very T I CRET . 411
The Traffic Appeals Board can help straightforward and hard to grant 002001 90
though. The Appeals Board is run absolution to. The Board has to go
L HZle37 Pi
through the Student Government through University policy, so they
Association on campus, which can't waive the ticket if someone is
collects all money from traffic fines parked in a handicapped space. The ic I YHT HYGH CP
to be used for student activities. The Board will give students the benefit
Board listens to student's arguments of the doubt whenever they can iRI3 I'7 T 5,.: VEHICLE,
about a parking ticket and gives the though.,;
students a chance to voice their ,For example, ' if a person-appears in Fr ivrf
opinion about a ticket. front of the Board with a complaint Loc t
The Board is chaired by the SGA of a ticket received when they were LOWER PEEL) T
vice president and also consists one parked in the upper lot of Reed at
Senator from SGA, three Commuter 4:55p.m, the board will take special
Council representatives and two JRC consideration on a case by case basis.
cet
representatives. Once a week they Another exception might be if ri r
meet together to hear the appeals of someone has been parked in an
students. unloading zone for 18 minutes, Tlitx.is 14 $59
People who receive a parking ticket instead of the allotted 15 minutes.
can lessen the price of that ticket by SGA vice president George PLEASE WOLIJOB TIMID TWICE
lENMS
Voila UO PLAT' MUI
going to the Appeals Board within two Leshnock thinks that Behrend WITH PAYMENT. MAXI CHI
days and they will receive a two- students are lucky though. "The fines PAYABLE TO THE PEN MS YL
STATE VMI'VERERY.
dollar reduction off the price of their that the University charges for fo‘
ticket. However, once the ticket violations are very minimal compared
makes it to the Appeals Board, it is to some of the other colleges I know."
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