A St. John Fisher student walks to her car only to find a ticket on her windshield from the Safety and Security Department.  Such was the case with Karen D’Angelo, a senior Communication/Journalism student.

“I was a little enraged,” said D’Angelo. “Not because I got the ticket, but because it was the second week of school.”

Many commuter students have had problems finding a parking space, especially if they are rushed to get to class.

In fact, for the past few years, the parking on campus has continuously worsened.

“Each year we experience parking problems for the first few weeks while students are coming on and meeting with their advisor, doing their drop/adds or buying books,” said Steve Potter, assistant director of safety and security. “This strain has stayed right along which shows me that these are now students who are attending classes.”

Students do have options for parking spaces even if their normal lots are full.

For one, they are permitted to park in the Park and Ride Lot, an overflow lot used by the College under an agreement with the Rochester Transit System.

As another option, to try to remedy the immediate problem for commuters, an additional overflowarea has been introduced by Lot A.  This provides approximately 100 more spaces.

“It’s getting easier now, but in the beginning I had to park on the grass,” said Jeremy Poole, a sophomore Education student.  “If I did get here late, I’d park on the grass, and if I got a ticket, I’d fight it.”

When it rains and snows, parking on the grass may not be an option, so the school is also looking into alternatives to try to solve the issue for the future.

“The College is currently doing a parking study as far as how many vehicles we have and what are the high times,” said Mike McCarthy, head of security.  “There is a study looking at all the pieces and figuring out what we have to do in the future.”

To try to help alleviate the parking issue, following the parking regulations as outlined in the Student Handbook can help.  If carpooling is a viable option, this may also decrease the number of vehicles on campus and open up a few more spaces.

Resident students may also grumble when they have trouble finding a parking space and have to park in the Park and Ride Lot.

“Why not expand the parking lots back further, even if it means buying the land?” said Katie Corey, a senior English major who resides on campus.

If a student does end up with a ticket, there is an appeal process, which can be done through the Safety and Security Office.

“We’re aware of the parking problem and we’re working on it so please persevere with us,” McCarthy said.  “It’s a community issue.”

STAFF WRITER
WENDY VanDELLON
Email address:
wjv00222@sjfc.edu