When you speak to an Oswego State student about parking on campus, many of them have some sort of disgruntled parking story. Students are unhappy for a variety of issues. Some feel there are not enough parking spaces while others feel their assigned lots are too far from their residence hall, or from the academic halls when commuting.
If you talk to any business student who lives on west campus, they will tell you how long it takes to get from one side of campus to the other: about twenty minutes on foot.
Student Corey Nichols is a resident of Onondaga Hall and often goes over to east campus to visit friends and eat at Lakeside Dining Hall.
“It’s an inconvenience, but I can park in the lot by Mary Walker later in the day,” Nichols said.
Even though on-campus students are assigned to park in their east, central, or west zones only and commuters in their specific lots, there are times when students are allowed to park in other places.
According to the parking regulations page on the Oswego State website, a student with the proper sticker on their vehicle may park in the employee lots weekdays from 3 p.m. to midnight and on weekends 7 a.m. until midnight.
That regulation did not help Onondaga Hall resident Ryan Newman with his predicament last fall semester. The senior marketing major had an internship immediately after one of his classes in Rich Hall that took place before 3 p.m.
“The only way I could be on time to both was if I parked my car on the other side of campus,” Newman said. “I got two tickets last semester for parking my car out of my zone. I was just doing what I had to as a student.”
When asked, the Parking Office declined a request for an interview regarding the matter. On its parking regulations page on the Oswego State website, its mission statement reads, “This Part is intended to safeguard the general welfare of the college community members and guests and to promote order and ease of movement on the campus by supplementing the New York Motor Vehicle and Traffic Law, which is in full force and effect on the campus.”
Newman feels the zoning setup on campus is not the answer to promote order.
“It’s horrendous,” Newman said. “The zones they have set up and the restriction they have set up on the zones.”
He has also had visitors of his receive tickets for reasons they did not understand.
“We have had friends come here and sign their cars in and still get tickets,” Newman said.
After all his experience last semester, Newman feels the parking on campus is unfair.
“You pay $120 dollars a year to park here,” Newman said. “It should be at your own convenience.”
For all complaints, questions, and problems about the parking on campus, call the Parking Division at the University Police Parking Services at (315) 312-3227 or email the offices at parking-list@ls.oswego.edu.
