Parking struggles are back with the Spring semester

By: Josh Francis, Multimedia Editor

Thousands of students hurry into the parking lots at OCC as early as 6:30am in hopes of finding a spot close to their next class. For many students who arrive at school from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. they are surprised to find barely any parking in the lots on campus.

Parking problems stem from students coming to campus who are waitlisted or plan to petition for a class they are not already in. The first two weeks are usually the busiest parking wise according to campus safety.

"Its hard to find parking if you don't have a morning class, like if you don't get here at 8:30 in the morning, 8:45 you're probably not gonna get a spot." said Herdy Wooldridge an economics major. Student Carley Cooper, an undecided major said that it took over an hour for her to find parking and when she did it was across the street at the Fairgrounds overflow lot. Farmer suggests that students take advantage of the overflow lot explaining that waiting for someone to leave is not always the best option. To help alleviate some of the parking mess, during the first two weeks of school parking is free in both permit spots and in meter spots. Handicap, twenty minute, and staff spots are still designated only for their purposes and campus safety is enforcing those parking spot designations during the two-week grace period.




Campus safety reported that 16,100 parking permits were sold during the Fall semester however they do not anticipate more permits being sold this semester than last.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Coast Report
• OCC
• parking