Parking and traffic proved a headache for students on their first day back to school.
Justin Cotton, a senior in business, said no matter where he went, traffic was terrible8212;and parking wasn’t any better.
The eastern section of the parking lot located between Wasatch Drive and the Tanner Humanities Building has been closed for construction. The Guardsman Way and Alumni parking lots are mostly closed. Federal Way is still closed. Construction of a water line narrowed Mario Capecchi Drive and South Medical Drive to a single lane. There’s a bottleneck at the entrance of the Ballif Road parking lot because of track and field construction.
The Business Loop isn’t closed yet8212;an impending traffic problem that will start in September. U Facilities Management Business Services said they might need to close Central Campus Drive in the future, which might prevent students from parking in its adjacent lot, at a time when the parking situation at the U is already a mess.
“I parked in the U lots all last year,” said Jimmy Rollins, a sophomore in business. “Today, I got here at 8 a.m. and barely found a spot.” Rollins wondered aloud why the construction work that would block off parking spots wasn’t completed during the summer.
Patrick Keahey, a freshman in English, had no better luck, even with his A parking permit. He said he definitely noticed the construction’s impact on traffic and parking.
“Today it was difficult to find a spot,” he said. “I got the last A spot near the Union.”
One female student who didn’t know about parking permit rules had her car towed at the Residence Halls, according to the U Police Department. Several other students either tried to park in handicapped zones without a permit, wherever they pleased or wherever they could find space, according to U Police.
Jeff Reinert, an undeclared freshman, said he was unimpressed by the crowded conditions. He thinks the U should look into parking garages to provide some relief.
But the U has a different idea for the time being.
U Facilities added replacement E parking spaces to the east Merrill Engineering Building parking lot.
U Facilities also hopes to ease some of the strain with an addition to its website called Construction Impacts. The website contains an interactive map that shows where traffic could congest because of ongoing construction projects and is meant to make it easier for students, faculty, staff and visitors to avoid construction delays on the roads.
“Many areas of campus are under construction and some other projects are planned that have not yet begun, which will cause future traffic rerouting,” said project manager Darrin Blaisdell in a statement.
The information on the site will be updated weekly or even daily, if needed. Blaisdell said he hopes students will bookmark the website and use it to their advantage on a regular basis.
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Tyler CobbParking spots by the HPER buildings are closed as construction crews work on building an outdoor running track.
Richard PaysonCars fill the U parking lot north of the Merrill Engineering Building on the first day of school. Students had a hard time finding parking because construction took over parking spots around campus.