Every new semester at Sinclair brings parking confusion for students who drive to class. 32,000 total students have enrolled in our downtown Dayton campus as well as campus and regional centers in Mason, Englewood, Huber Heights, Eaton, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and in online classes.
With enrollment at such high levels, many students feel stress when searching for a parking spot before classes begin. The streets on campus and surrounding campus become hectic with traffic, particularly early in the early morning. However, options always remain.
At the downtown Dayton campus, students have many parking options available all semester. In the beginning of the semester, there is a sixth overflow option. Student parking lots include Lot A—known to most simply as the parking garage—as well as Lots B, E, F and G, I, K, and M. Overflow parking at the Welcome Stadium is considered Lot D and opens only as needed.
Lot A, the student parking garage, has entrances and exits on West Fifth Street as well as Mead Street. The parking garage connects to Buildings 3 and 4, Building 13 and has a temporarily closed tunnel connecting to Building 14.
Lot A has four levels, with level one as ground level and level four as the roof of the garage. The parking garage is divided into East and West sides. The West side of the parking garage connects to Buildings 3 and 4. The East side of the parking garage connects currently only to Building 13.
Lot B lies near Building 17, between Fourth and Fifth Streets. Motorcycles are permitted to park in lot B.
Lot E has an entrance on Perry Street and an exit on West Fifth Street. Lot E is located behind Building 9.
Lots F and G lie at the intersection of Longworth Street and Eaker Street.
Lot I has an entrance and exit on Court Street. Lot I is located next to Building 19.
Lot K has an entrance on Longworth Street and exits a left turn only onto Sixth Street towards Wilkinson Street. Lot K lies behind Building 13.
Lot M has an entrance and exit on Fifth Street. Lot M surrounds Building 20.
All parking for students is free with a present Tartan Card. Without a Tartan Card, parking in the garage costs five dollars per exit. For students who do not want to park in provided campus lots, Fourth Street and Fifth Street lie in the middle of campus and have many available parking meters.
For students who do not drive, public transit is always available in the downtown area. The City of Dayton now has a bicycle borrowing program so that citizens—and students—can ride a bicycle when they do not own one. One of these bike racks lies in between Building ten and Fifth Street.
Maggie Stacey
Reporter