Parking has been an issue at Sinclair Community College for a number of years, but the flow of traffic is changing this quarter, according to Parking Manager Richard Kirkendall.
“Something’s happened over at campus to keep the lots full,” Kirkendall said.
He believes that course schedules, student class loads and record enrollments have played a role in the new traffic patterns that are emerging in the parking lots, particularly in Lot A, the main garage on campus.
“The mass exodus used to be at 11 a.m.,” he said. “This quarter is particularly interesting because at noon we fill up again.”
The number one complaint students have about parking is that they have to pay for it, according to Kirkendall. The garage being closed is the second most common student complaint, followed by traffic jams in the cash lane as students exit the lot.
He said that though parking fees do help maintain the lots and the garage, they do not pay for all of the garage’s expenses. Kirkendall suggests that students have their Tartan card in order to both pay for parking and validate their right to park in the garage.
“We have to validate identity,” Kirkendall said. “If (students) don’t have that Tartan card, we can’t validate that they’re supposed to be on campus.”
He added that students who do not have their Tartan card are subject to a higher parking rate.
Students aren’t the only ones who complain about the parking process. Kirkendall said that parking workers have one complaint in particular about students.
“Most of the time they won’t follow instructions,” Kirkendall said. “It makes it difficult for us because it breaks up rows.”
Kirkendall said that in certain lots, especially in Welcome Stadium, the parking department is required to fill up certain sections at a time. Students parking wherever they want breaks up the parking rows for the attendant and causes problems in traffic flow for other students coming into the lot.
“We’re not there to make their life difficult,” Kirkendall said. “We’re trying to make it as easy as possible.”
Kirkendall suggested three ways that students could improve their parking experience:
- Understand that the beginning of the quarter will be busier than the rest of the quarter
- To park in the garage, arrive before 9 a.m.
- To avoid traffic or confusion, park in another lot and ride the free shuttle to campus
Night Manager Jerry Hughes provided the Clarion with the following breakdown of parking available to students:
- Lot A (entrances from West Fifth St. and Mead St.; the main garage) : 2550 spaces
- Lot F and G (entrance from Longworth St.): 266 spaces
- Lot H (entrance from Robert Dr., cash only; located under I-75): 65 spaces
- Lot I (entrance from Ludlow St.): 99 spaces
- Lot K (entrance from Longworth St., close to Mead St; behind Building 13): 383 spaces
- Lot M (entrance from Fifth St.): 305 spaces
- Total spaces available to students, not counting Welcome Stadium overflow parking: 3,668 spaces
For more information about parking services, including an interactive campus map, click here.