W E E K D AY E D I T I O N | F E B R U A R Y 2 2 - 2 4 , 2 0 16 | T W I C E W E E K LY I N P R I N T | O U D A I LY. C O M
OUDAILY
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STUDENTS PREP FOR STOMPDOWN • 4
RACE FOR SPACE
CHRISTOPHER MICHIE/THE DAILY
The Lloyd Noble Center parking lot on Feb. 11. While OU is 600 parking spaces short this year due to construction, a new parking garage with a capacity of 1,221 spaces is set to open in 2017.
WHERE TO PARK?
which lot to try based on when you arrive to campus
SARKEYS LOT full by 9 a.m.
BROOKSMONNETT LOT full by 9:15 a.m.
BROOKS-JENKINS LOT full by 9:15 a.m.
ASP & ELM AVENUE GARAGES full by 9:30 a.m.
DUCK POND OR LLOYD NOBLE CENTER
spots usually available, even after 9:30 a.m.
BIGGEST STUDENT LOTS OU has 16,375 parking spots available on campus, and 10,650 are for students. Of those, 600 spots are unavailable due to construction. The largest student lots are: Duck Pond lot: 847 spaces Asp Avenue garage: 724 spaces Elm Avenue Garage 576 spaces Source: OU Parking and Transportation
Lack of parking causes frustration LAUREN MASSING • @LAURENMASSING
The number of students using the CART shuttle to get to campus by parking at the Lloyd Noble Center has greatly increased compared to last year, as a result of less available parking on campus. Vicky Holland, OU Parking and Transportation marketing manager, said ridership for CART has increased 22 percent from last year. In 2015, CART transported over one million passengers, with more than 70 percent being university related. The loss of 600 parking spots due to the residential colleges’ construction along with a new parking garage has made the ability to find parking on campus almost impossible for many students. As a result, more students are forced to park at Lloyd Noble and take the shuttle to campus. This would explain why, according to OU Parking Services’ Twitter account, the parking lots and garages aren’t filling up any faster than previous years despite the decreased number of available parking spots. Rachel Harlan, an elementary education junior, said she parks at Lloyd Noble and takes the bus because she doesn’t like spending extra time looking for a spot on campus. “I think it’s great,” Harlan said. “It’s really efficient and not super crowded unless it’s during peak hours. Sometimes I’ll even see a friend or two on the bus that I can talk to.” Many students are looking forward to the new parking garage which is set to be completed in January 2017. Standing five stories tall and holding approximately 1,221 spaces, the Jenkins Avenue Parking Facility will be the largest parking facility OU has ever had. It will feature an automated counting system to keep
an up-to-the-minute inventory of the number of available spots in the garage. “I’m excited about the new parking garage. It’s so needed ... and it will be at a convenient location too. I feel like it will be central to where people have classes,” said Taylor Prince, an advertising junior. Prince said even though she would prefer to park in one of the more conveniently located parking garages, she can usually only find a spot at the duck pond, which can also be hectic at peak times.
“Honestly, it takes me longer to find a parking spot than it does to drive to campus.” RYAN BAYLESS, MARKETING JUNIOR
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve almost gotten into a wreck at the duck pond,” Prince said. “There are so many blind spots, and people are just so panicked trying to find a spot ... it’s crazy.” OU has 16,375 parking spots on campus, with 10,650 of those designated for students. Currently, 600 of those spots are unavailable due to construction. The Duck Pond has the largest lot, with 847 parking spaces, followed by the Asp Avenue Parking Facility, with 724 spaces and the Elm Avenue Parking Facility with 576 spaces. Ryan Bayless, a marketing junior, commutes 20 minutes to campus everyday from Purcell. He said he has to get to campus at least 45 minutes early to make sure he can find a spot in time. “Honestly, it takes me longer to find a parking spot than it does to
drive to campus,” Bayless said. Bayless also said he tries to avoid the duck pond if he can because it is “awful once it gets full.” Ac c o rd i n g t o O U Pa rk i n g Services’ Twitter account, the Asp Avenue and Elm Avenue parking garages fill up around 9:30 a.m. The Sarkeys Energy Center lot is full by 9 a.m. The Brooks-Monnett and Brooks-Jenkins lots are full by 9:15 a.m. Students who have class after 9:30 a.m. should try the duck pond or park at the Lloyd Noble Center and take the CART shuttle. Holland encourages students to take the Lloyd Noble shuttle if they are late to class because they can’t find parking. “We’re to a point now where everyone knows, even the professors know, that if a student is complaining about not being able to get to class on time because they can’t find parking, then they should be parking at Lloyd Noble and taking the shuttle,” Holland said. As far as the future of parking at OU, Holland said an app is being developed that will tell students how many parking spots are available in each lot, and there is a possibility for another parking garage to be added by Sarkeys. Prince said parking stresses her out more than her actual classes, and she hopes the parking situation will improve with the addition of the new parking garages. “When I’m driving to class, I’m more worried about finding a parking spot than I am about my class,” Prince said. “It would be nice to not have to worry about that for once,” she said. Lauren Massing lmassing@ou.edu
CART RIDERS INCREASE
comparing CART riders parking at the Lloyd Noble Center from 2015 to 2016 riders by year and month
FY 2015 FY 2016 August 30,296
August 35,044
September 60,406
September 96,823
October 66,712
October 90,126
November 47,773
November 75,231
December 18,153
December 47,616
January 42,305
January 36,430
TOTAL 265,645
TOTAL 381,270
115,625: total difference in CART riders who parked at the Lloyd Noble Center from fiscal year 2015 to fiscal year 2016 Note: Positive difference indicates higher ridership in FY 2016. Higher December counts are somewhat driven from four extra days of regular service in FY 2016. Lower January ridership was in part due to five fewer days of regular service in FY 2016. Source:OU Parking and Transportation