PeekingInOnParking

Forthosewhocommutetoschool,findingaparkingspotisalwaysastressor.
Accordingtouri.edu,thereareatotalof11,000undergraduatesattheUniversityof
RhodeIsland.Approximately6,000ofthesestudentsareoffcampuscommuterswho
live,downtheline,anddrivetoclass,while5,000ofthosestudentsliveoncampusand
donotcommutetoschool.Withthatbeingsaid,themajorityofURIstudentstravelto
campusviacar.MorethanhalfoftheundergraduatepopulationattheUniversityof
RhodeIslandcommutestocampuseachday,andisrequiredtofindalegalparkingspot
forhis/hervehicle.
TheUniversityofRhodeIslandoffersparkingpassestostudentswhohaveacar
oncampus.TheParkingPermitsoncampusrunbysemester.EachFallandSpring
semesterstudentsmustpurchaseanewpass.
Commuterpermitsare$110,ResidentPermitsare
$155,andGreekpassesare$260,annually.
CommutersareallowedtoparkatFineArts,
KeaneyLot,FlaggandPlainsLot.Itistobenoted
that

studentswhoupholdthistypeofparkingpassare

ONLYallowedinthedesignatedCommuterAreas,thatareoutlinedinred(insertpic
here).InorderforParkingServicestomeettheneedsofitsstudents,theyprovidemany
areasforGeneralStudentParking.YouareconsideredaGeneralParker,ifyouhavea
Commuter,Resident,orGreekPermit.

AccordingtotheUniversitywebsite,Thenumberonecomplaintfromcommuter
studentsisparking.Ifstudentsarrivetocampuspast8:45am,thereisrarelyanyparking
availableinthenearestlots(FineArts,theChurchorFlaggRoad).
TheoncampusshuttlebusesattheUniversityofRhodeIslandtransportstudents
toandfromparkinglotsandmainareasoncampusthatrequirelongdistancewalking.
TheCampusHillClimberServicerunsduringpeakcommutinghours,inacontinuous
loop.Itmakesscheduledstopsattwoconvenientlocations:PlainsRoadParkingLotand
UpperCollege&EastAlumniRoad.Thisbusrunsevery11minutesstartingfrom
8:27AMthrough9:55AM,thenevery11minutesstartingfrom10:16AMthrough12:00
PMthenevery11minutesstartingfrom12:51PMthrough1:45PM.HillClimberservice
isprovidedMondaythroughFriday,whileschoolisinsession.
Itookituponmyselftointerviewafellowstudentandfriendofmine,Krista
Rambala,aJuniorHumanandDevelopmentFamilyStudiesMajor.Wetalkedabouther
parkingservicesexperienceattheUniversityofRhodeIsland.OneofthefirstthingsI
askedherwasifshehadtocommentonParkingServicesatURI,whathercomment
mightbeandwhy.Sheanswered,Reallyhorrible.Therehavebeenmultipletimeswhen
IhaveparkedillegallywithoutevenknowingIdidso.Thisresultedinmegettinga
warningandeventuallyaticket.IalsoaskedherifsheusedthecampusHillClimber
Serviceandshesaid,IamaJuniorandfoundoutabouttheCampusHillClimberService
secondsemestersophomoreyear.IwasnotawareofthedestinationofthisbusbecauseI
wasneverinformed.KristathenwentontomentionthatshebelievesthatatFreshman
orientation,studentsshouldbemadeawareoftheoncampusbusingsystem,becauseit

madeherlifeeasier.Additionally,she
mentionedthatsheisnotawareofthe
placesyoucanparklegally/illegally
withoutacommuterorGreekParkingPass.
Afterthisconversation,IaskedKristaifshethinksthereisabetterwayto
accommodatetheparkingsituationoncampusandsheresponded,Ithinkthereare
solutions,butasofrightnow,noauthorityfigureisdoinganythingaboutthecomplaints
fromthestudents.Isimplyjustthinktheydon'tcare.
AfterinterviewingKrista,whoisnotaprofessionalinparkingservices,Ithought
itwastimetohearfromsomeonewhoactuallyworksforthecompanyhereatthe
UniversityofRhodeIsland.Kristinastitleisverysimply:StudentEmployee.Sheworks
inconjunctionwithafulltime,salariedemployee,toassistinthemanydifferentaspects
ofparking.Inanutshell,mostofKristinasjobrevolvesaroundcustomerservice.She
oftenspendstimeansweringphonecallsandemails,distributingvarioustypesofparking
permits,andprogramminggateaccesscards.AnotherpartofKristinasjobis
communicatingwiththeofficersinthefieldwhogivewarningsand,yes,callthetow
trucks.ThismeansthatwhenanyonecallsParkingServicesandaskswheretheircarwas
towed,sheisthemiddlemanwhogivesthatinformationout.IaskedKristina,whohas
beenworkingatParkingServicessinceSeptember,whyshethinksthatstudentsgetso
frustratedwiththeparkingsituation.Theproblemisnotnecessarilyfindingparking,but
morefindingconvenientparking,statedKristina.Themainlot,locatedatthebottomof
campus,PlainsLothasneverbeenfull,accordingtoKristina.However,itissimplythe

ideathatitisnotconvenienttoparktheirbeingthatitissofarawayfromclasseson
campus.Onethingthatshesuggestedthatshebelieveswouldimprovethequalityof
ParkingServicesandstudentshappinessis,creatingamoreconvenientandmore
efficientshuttlesystem.Itisnotnecessarilytheparkingthatistheproblem,butmore
oftenthesituationssurroundingparking.Afterourinterview,IaskedKristinaifshe
couldchangeonethingabouttheenforcementofParkingServicesshesaid,Iwould
changethewaywedoenforcement.Manypeopledon'tknowthis,butwedonotreceive
anyprofitfromtowingvehicles.Officersarenottowhappybecauseitreallydoes
nothingforus!Ithinkbycreatingafinesystemratherthantowing,studentswouldtake
noticeofthoseearlyfines.Thiswouldsavestudentsalotmoremoneyandalsoalleviate
theeffortthatgoesintogettingtheircarbackafteratow.Ithinkthiswouldalsobenefit
usbymakingstudentshavealittlemorepositivefeelingstowardsourdepartment.
StudentssimplydonotreactwelltoParkingServicesbecauseofthewaythey
immediatelytowcarswithoutnotice,orplacefinesonthehoodofsomeonescar.
Throughresearch,IwasabletoseethatmanyUniversitiesintheUnitedStates
alsostrugglewiththeparkingsituation,anddonthaveenoughconvenientareastopark.
Parkingisoneofthemostprevalentproblemsdirectlyaffectingcollegecampuses.
AccordingtoDavidW.Burr,Risingenrollmentnumbersareoneofthemainreasons
thatsomanyinstitutionsarefacingparkingshortages.Enrollmentjumpedfrom14.5
millionto18.2millionbetween1997and2007,puttingahugestrainonaservicethats
alreadyatthebreakingpoint.EachyearattheUniversityofRhodeIsland,moreand
morestudentsareaccepted,whichultimatelycreateslessandlessparkingspots.

AccordingtoBurr,ColumbiaUniversityinNewYorkprohibitsunderclassmen
fromhavingaparkingpass,andonlyallowsitsupperclassmantohaveone.Burrspeaks
abouthowimportantitistoprioritizeparkingpermitdistribution,andhowonlyallowing
certainstudentstowithholdonenarrowsdowntheamountofcarsoncampus.Any
studentwhoattendstheUniversityofRhodeIslandispermittedtohaveacaroncampus
andparkfreelywithaparkingpermitaslongastheyparklegally.BeforeColumbia
Universitycommittedtothisplan,theydidnotallowstudentsatalltoparkoncampus,
andonlyleftspotsopenforfaculty.Themovefromnoparking,toallowingolder
studentshasincreasedtheircampuslifeoverall.Ithasallowedforupperclassmantopark
wherevertheyneedwhennecessary.
AuthorAnnMcClureofUniversityBusinesses,providesinsightabouttheparking
situationatUniversityofGeorgia.Shesays,Itsnotaboutbuildingorwideningroadsor
improvingsignaltiming,butrather,increasingthepassengercapacityofthe
transportationsystembyreducingthenumberofvehiclesontheroadwayduringpeak
traveltimes.Thetermcarpoolultimatelycomestomind.Thisarticlespeaksabouthow
notonlyareparkinglotspricey,butthoselotscouldbeusedformoreclassrooms,oreven
greenspace.Packingafullcarofpeopleonyourwaytoclassseemstobethemove,
accordingtoMcClure.
Itisinevitablethatparkingwillremainanissueoncollegecampusesnationwide.
Studentssimplyhaveplacestobe,andareontheirownschedules,regardlessofwhats
bestfortheenvironment.However,therearewaystoreducethetraffic,toreducethe
tightparkingspots,andtoreducestudentsstresslevels.

WorksCited
"Go With the Flow: Campus Traffic and Parking Solutions." University Business
Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.

"Parking and Transportation Services." Parking and Transportation Services. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.