NEW ORLEANS (Oct. 4, 2012) – Dillard has added an additional 75 spaces behind the tennis courts, but more vehicles with parking decals than spots to park are still a fact.
With a policy allotting parking behind the Professional Schools Building for faculty and staff and delays to completion of the parking area between Cook and the new Student Union, accessible parking has been a continuing topic of discussion among students, faculty and staff.
Capt. Lawrence Garrison of the University Police said the total number of spaces available on campus is 462 spots, including the 75 new slots. However, more than 600 decals have been sold for the 2012-13 school year to 275 commuter students; 100 on-campus students; and 225 faculty and staff. Faculty and staff pay $200 for decals, students, $100.
If everyone with decals were to park at once, only 77 percent would be able to do so.
Garrison said even though 138 more decals were sold than spaces, “We have a lot of places to park; it’s just that people don’t want to walk from places like Dent because it’s an inconvenience.”
He added that because 275 of the decals are for commuter students, that offers some leeway since “people come in and out all the time.”
Students are continuing to adjust to the new policy, implemented last year, allocating spaces behind the PSB for faculty and staff. As Dr. Toya Barnes-Teamer, vice president of Student Success, explained, “The spots behind PSB have been designated for faculty and staff, student parking is near Dent and Straight, and visitor parking is the gravel lot near the library.”
Consequences for violations range from a warning to boots placed for immobilization or even towing. A boot costs $25 to remove.
As for the parking spaces that used to be behind Cook, construction has been under way since last January. Some of the parking spaces at that location have been removed to make the Student Union LEED-certified. LEED is a voluntary, internationally recognized green building program, but details of what exactly is being done to help the union become certified as such were not available.
Keith A. McKendall, assistant vice president of Facilities Management, said the lots were supposed to be done by the end of August.
Barnes-Teamer said the Executive Cabinet is working on ways to create more parking as the school’s population increases.
“We want to be able to have spots available for everyone, we are trying to create a fiscally possible and wise decision,” she said. Options under consideration include using the Warrington side of campus by the Student Union.
