To accommodate students who do not live on West Campus, but who still like to hang out there on the weekends, the University will give those students weekend card access to two Towerview Drive parking lots.
Starting Sept. 13, students who live on East Campus, Central Campus, in Trent Drive Hall or off campus will be able to park in the Edens B and C lots from 7 p.m. Friday to midnight Sunday. Employees who have permits for those lots will have access to the Card Gym lot during those times.
"In my short time here, this was one of the first things I got asked to do," said Cathy Reeve, director of transportation and parking services. "I think it is a nice thing to do for students."
The change will allow those who do not live on West to visit on the weekends without worrying about finding a spot.
"I remember last year as freshmen, we'd come to West and it was such a pain trying to find where to park," sophomore Meredith Williams said. "This will be really nice for [freshmen]."
To ensure that non-West students have access to those lots, the University will ticket West Campus residents and others who park there during the weekends.
"It's not a good solution," he said. "I would like to open the Edens lots and the Blue Zone to all undergraduate students on the weekends and allow students to park where they prefer."
Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Services Joe Pietrantoni said he wanted students with Blue Zone permits to stay in the Blue Zone, which he said was safer because it is gated and equipped with cameras. Also, he added, if West Campus residents can use the Edens lots, they will fill them, preventing non-West residents from parking. The lots will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Cars left in the lot after midnight Sunday will be towed to make sure employees have spaces Monday morning. Reeve said the change has taken a long time to initiate because of concern that cars would not vacate the lots in due time.
There will be a 30-day trial period, in which the University will observe how many people use the lot and how many are being ticketed and towed. Reeve will reevaluate the plan based on data gathered during that time.
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