Resident students parking in areas designated for campus employees and commuters is not new at Oswego State. But as centrally located parking becomes more limited in accommodating students and faculty, more measures are being taken in order to regulate parking on campus which includes a $20 fine for any students parking in the wrong lot.
"Faculty have to drive around to find a parking space," said Dr. Susan Camp, chair of Oswego State’s Faculty Committee on the issue. "It’s a frustrating problem. If everyone followed the rules, life would be easier."
University Police said residential students have been parking in the center of campus, taking away the parking designated to professors, staff, and commuter students.
"There is simply not enough center core parking to accommodate residents to drive to class," U.P. Chief Cynthia Adam said.
From 2008-2009, 2,386 employees had registered vehicles, 2,297 resident students had registered vehicles, and 3,598 commuter students had registered vehicles according to the 2009 Annual New York State University Police Report. About 14,087 tickets had been given out the same time period. Although the amount of vehicles has decreased since 2004, U.P. and the Parking Committee aims to further reduce the number of vehicles on campus.
The construction of The Village and the Math and Sciences buildings significantly reduces the amount of space for parking. In an effort by the U.P. and the Campus Parking Committee to re-allocate parking, a system called Zoned Parking has been developed.
Students who register their vehicles receive a parking permit and a color-coded zoned parking decal, each color corresponding to the three areas on campus (West, Central, and East Campuses). Students are supposed to park in a resident lot in their designated zone from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. On the weekend and after 3 p.m. to 11p.m. on Monday-Friday students can then park in other zones.
Parking permits are available July 1 and can be ordered online so students can register before classes begin. This way, students know beforehand where their assigned parking lots will be located.
