Students trying to drive their cars up campus recently have met new resistance at the Elm Drive kiosks. Because of parking spaces eliminated and obstructed by construction, Public Safety has increased its effort to reduce campus traffic, said Capt. Donald Reichling, acting associate director of Public Safety.
Parking policy has not changed, but Public Safety officers are regulating traffic more strictly.
"It's really just a more stringent enforcement of current policies," Reichling said.
The plan restricts up-campus traffic to vehicles making large deliveries, and allows them to park for only a short time. That includes students making drop-offs.
Construction has caused the closing of all parking at Witherspoon Hall and the Joseph Henry House, resulting in a loss of about 20 parking spaces. In addition, new campus designs have resulted in the elimination of the Dod Hall lot and the shrinking of the parking area in front of Dillon Gym, creating a jam at other lots on campus.
"The problem is that there's no space to put anybody," Reichling said. "People who go up campus tend to park illegally or someplace where it's an inconvenience."
Reichling also said most people who park up campus ignore the time limit, often parking overnight and being towed.
"When people park up campus, it compounds the problem," he said. "It makes it a nightmare."
New regulations go along with the current focus of creating a more pedestrian campus, he added.
All new employees are being assigned to the parking garage, and many current employees have been reassigned there as well. Because Public Safety is asking people to park in the lower lots for small drop-offs, it is noticing an increase in the use of the shuttle system, Reichling said.
The clamping down on campus traffic was first brought to the USG's attention at Sunday's Senate meeting by Cole Barfield '03.
He said he was attempting to bring a television to his Little Hall room, but he was not allowed to park in Dillon Gym's lot. He said he was told to park further from his room and had to carry the TV up extra flights of stairs.
"I just think that if Public Safety is going to restrict cars up campus, I think some students should have a voice in that decision," Barfield said. "Also, [by addressing it at the USG meeting] I was hoping for an explanation as to why they're doing this."
Barfield's account prompted USG President Nina Langsam '03 to speak to Public Safety and send an e-mail last night to all undergraduates advising them of the changes.
"Public Safety wasn't sure if it would create more trouble or not, but I decided it was best to get it all out at once," she said.
In response to student dissatisfaction with the changes, Reichling noted that the parking jam and up-campus traffic affects more than just students.
"Everyone is inconvenienced," he said, adding that many employees must also park in outlying lots and use the Tiger Tram.
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