Parking issues continue to frustrate students

By Amanda Sandlin
Some students are still unsatisfied with parking on the Lawrenceville campus, despite recent renovations to make more spots available.

Over the past year, administrators have been working to alleviate some of the problems that arose with parking as well as housing.

With a net gain of 180 new parking spaces on the Lawrenceville campus this fall, there are now about 3,000 parking spaces available.

Students have responded differently to the changes.

Katie Farrison, a junior communication major and campus resident, has had her car on campus since freshman year. She said that she hasn’t noticed any improvements over the past year.

“I feel like they just made the parking areas for students smaller,” Farrison said. “It seems like they just made more spaces for faculty. I can never find parking.”

She also said Rider should consider banning freshmen from having cars on campus, as many other colleges already do.

“Freshmen just shouldn’t be able to bring their cars on campus,” Farrison said. “Even though they have to pay a fee, it won’t stop them. Most colleges do it that way. I think we should do it, too. It would just make more sense.”

Farrison said that the prime times for parking dilemmas are Sunday nights.

“Unless you go on a Friday or Saturday afternoon and get a space in Kroner [lot], and don’t move all weekend, you’re going to be stuck parking in the old Z lot,” she said.

Mike Berry, a junior education major, has been a commuter since the spring semester of his sophomore year. He, like Farrison, is unsatisfied with parking access for students.

“I think it’s unfair that they took away half a row of parking from the students just for the faculty,” said Berry, referring to the expanded, gated parking lot in front of the Bart Luedeke Center. “Most of the time, the lot is empty anyway. In my opinion, students should have the closest parking because we pay to go here.”

Berry said that the extended lot for faculty and staff behind Alumni Gym is hardly ever filled, leaving a wide open space wasted.

“I would have no problem walking the extra distance if the spots were always full,” he said.

When brainstorming ways to improve the system, Berry comes up empty-handed.

“There’s no way to fix it, though, that’s the thing,” he said. “If anything, I’d just say let the seniors have those spots that they took away for faculty.”

Casey Langweiler, a junior political science major, shares the most basic room option in the West Village Commons with three other suitemates. Three weeks into the school year, he said that his experience so far has been positive.

“I like it a lot,” said Langweiler. “We have a lot more space and there’s air conditioning in every room and also in the common room.”

Langweiler said that he hasn’t had any any major issues thus far living in West Village. Even though the university hasn’t installed an entertainment center for their common room yet, he said that it hasn’t been a great concern.

He said that one of the biggest perks living in the Commons is parking availability.

“We get to park literally next to the building,” Langweiler said. “It’s great. If that’s full we can park in another huge lot right next to the building. There’s always a spot.”