As the University of Utah prepares for the 2002 Winter Games in February, parking issues for residential students have become a main concern?and everyone is not happy.
“They have us over a barrel,” said Nicole Roybal.
Roybal, a student living in the Sage Point residence halls, is frustrated with the parking situation around the area.
“There’s no spots,” she said.
Two of the three parking lots available to Sage Point residents have been closed off since Oct. 15.
According to Roybal, notice of the closure was announced after residential contracts had been signed, giving students little room to prepare for the changes.
From the one original lot remaining for residents, about half has been closed off for use as a “temporary gym for athletes,” she said. The lot is on the south of building 814 in Sage Point.
Because of the lack of parking, “I created my own spot,” Roybal said.
According to Roybal, she had parked at the end of a row of cars on yellow lines where she was “not blocking anything.” Nonetheless, she received a parking ticket.
Many students are forced to be “creative” in finding parking spots, however, tickets are causing more of a problem, she said.
According to Alma Allred, director of Parking and Transportation Services, the “creativity” is not needed.
On the way to Sage Point, “by the last intersection,” there is a parking area designated for Sage Point residents with about 250 open spaces available, he said.
“It’s across the street from Sage Point,” said Peggie Shultz, assistant to Director of Residential Living Dan Adams.
Students had received prior notices of the parking lot closures, and of the alternate parking lot available to them, Allred said.
Roybal has scheduled a meeting with Allred for tomorrow when she plans to discuss the situation.
“Go up there and look at it, then see if there’s no place to park or not,” Allred said.
Some students are parking at meters, waiting for a spot to become vacant, only to be ticketed for being in the meter area too long, she said.
Others have begun parking in the two lots that were closed off on Oct. 15. Except for some construction equipment, the lots are “not used for much of anything,” she said.
So far, no one has received a ticket for parking there, however, warnings are being placed on cars, according to Roybal.
Parking in other residential lots is not an option because of the numbers printed on each student’s parking pass, designating them to certain areas. If they were to park in other lots, there would be more ticketing, Roybal said.
Roybal has already received two tickets. A friend of hers has received eight, she said.
There was not a well informed notification of the changes in the parking situation over those couple of weeks, according to Roybal.
“Everyone’s having the same problem,” she said. “It’s just a fiasco. If they have to close off the lots?fine. But don’t ticket me when I get creative.”