Commuters can't seem to find their space

Most commuters are familiar with searching for spots in the morning. Sometimes there are cars parked in snow banks, blocking lanes in the parking lots, and many cars get ticketed because they are in the wrong place.

Despite the frustrations of commuter students, Norwich University does not lack satisfactory parking spaces for the non-residential population, according to the school's director of facilities operations.

"I disagree with lack of adequate parking spaces for students," Bizhan Yahyazadeh, Director of Facilities Operations.

According to Yahyazadeh, there are at times "100 to 150" available parking spaces for commuter students. The parking spots designated to all students are Lots B, C, D, along with additional parking in Kreitzberg Arena and the parking lot next to Plumley Armory; Lot E is reserved exclusively for commuter students.

According to Yahyazadeh, commuter students are able to park in any spot that is designated as student parking, however, he stresses that residential students are forbidden to park in spots designated to commuter students.

The reason for this rule is that residential students are already on campus and have "ample time" to attend to their classes, unlike commuter students, who do not always have the time to search for a parking spot, according to Yahyazadeh.

While there may be a surplus of parking spaces on campus, for some commuter students the main issue is the location of those spots and sometimes in winter, the difficulty of getting back and forth from them.,

For Jessica Tompkins, a 37-year-old, Warren, Vt., nursing major who is currently in her freshman year at Norwich, she recognizes that there are plenty of parking spaces available to commuter students; the concern is how the spaces are designated.

"I wouldn't say that there is not enough parking spaces," Tompkins stated. She added, "Where they are located and how the parking is planned out are the issues."

According to Tompkins, there is some "re-mapping" that could be done to allow commuter students closer access to the academic buildings. Due to the overcrowding of Lot E, her suggestion is to assign the first 15 rows of Lot C as commuter parking.

"The mixed lots could be designated so that commuter spaces are separated and moved forward." However, the idea of allocating commuter parking spaces in a mixed lot will be a "hard sell" according to the newly-hired director of commuter student services, Ryan Johnson..

"The idea is okay, there would still be enough spots for everyone," Johnson stated, "but it would place residential students a little further away."

He goes on to state that the reason behind the idea is that commuter students need to access their vehicles several times a day, as opposed to residential students, whose necessity to use their cars every day is minimal. "This is not going to be popular with on-campus students," Johnson said.

He also notes that enforcing the guidance for commuter parking spots in a mixed lot could prove to be challenging. If designated spots were painted a different color, the spaces would be difficult to identify during the winter months.

"How do you know when to ticket, not to ticket," Johnson asked. "It's a little bit of splitting hairs when it's within the same parking lot."

Johnson has discussed the parking issue with the Dean of Students, Brig. Gen. Kelley and Chief Abraham. While he was unable to implement any changes, he has communicated their suggestions, some of which were deemed "unfeasible."

Another recommendation that was brought to Johnson's attention by a student was the installation of a gate on Lot E to ensure that only commuter students are able to park there. However, the cost and additional resources render that suggestion prohibitive.

Now that winter has arrived bringing cold, ice and snow to the area, the parking problem becomes magnified in the eyes of some commuters.

Tompkins cites the lengthy trek to the academic buildings from Lot C, compounded with the icy weather and lack of maintenance as the reason she made her earlier suggestion. She describes the walk from the lot to the academic buildings as a "death trap."

"I know that they don't sand this lot (Lot C)," Tompkins stated, "so walking from there to your classes, it's very scary."

Melissa Adams, a 32-year-old sophomore, nursing major from Milton, Vt., shares her concerns about the ice in the parking lots.

"There have been times it has been like scaling snow banks and stuff to avoid the ice," Adams stated. She depicts the walk from the Kreitzberg Arena parking lot to where she needs to go as "treacherous."

Adams' sentiment is shared by fellow commuter Alanna Robertson-Webb, a 21-year –old English major in her junior year from Montpelier, Vt.

"The other day actually I was on campus and I was trying to go up the little hill behind the Plumley lot," recounts Robertson-Webb, "I almost couldn't get up it."

Robertson-Webb stated that she was finally able to make it up the hill by walking along the edge, using the old snow as traction. She was unable to use the footpath due to the icy conditions on the path.

"Norwich, overall does a really good job with their maintenance," according to Robertson-Webb, "but I do think that they could do a little bit better, routinely keeping up with salting and sanding."

Snow removal in Plumley parking lot is another problem that Robertson-Webb faces when looking for a parking space in that area. When the snow builds up and falls off the side of Plumley, it "will erase an entire row of parking on one side," making about "10 spots" no longer available. When the spots are plowed, not all snow is removed, making parking "awkward," according to Robertson-Webb.

The way that some students park during the winter months exacerbates the problem. According to Yahyazadeh, parking spots are not lost due to snow; they are lost due to how "people park differently" during winter months. People take more space than what they need, he said.

Adams has personally witnessed how students don't always park the way they should during the winter. "I've noticed that in the last couple of weeks," Adams said, "with the weather and everything that the way people are parking in the parking lot, it is a little crazy."

She views the situation as disorganized and is unsure of what can be done to prevent the rogue parking in the commuter lots. However, Adams noted that for the most part, she doesn't have much to complain about since she arrives to school early in the day.

Early arrival is one of the suggestions that Yahyazadeh offers to commuter students: "We have to manage our time and we should get wherever we need to be a few minutes early." He stresses that planning ahead is important not only when it comes to academics, but also when it comes to life in general.

As for Johnson, trying to find a solution to ease the parking burdens of commuter students is for now, a struggle. When referring to the idea of designating parking spots for commuters in Lot C, he wonders if it would be enough to make students happy.

"I don't think it would be enough to solve the problem," Johnson stated, "but it doesn't mean that you can't take steps to the right direction either."