Parking garage addresses university parking issues

By Michael Veres

The University of Windsor is installing a parking garage to help with the parking issues the students face.

The parking garage is currently being constructed at the southeast corner of Wyandotte Street West and Sunset Avenue, alongside a new Innovation Centre that will house campus services. With nearly 950 parking spots, the seven storey garage comes along with the closure of other student parking spots. In total, this adds only about 300 new spots for students, although in a more central location on campus.

There is a temporary parking lot to accommodate the parking removed by the construction but students believe parking will remain a problem.

“I feel like there should be more,” said undergraduate student Alicia DiCarlo, referring to the spots being added for students. “Most students don’t even get a parking spot. “

DiCarlo said the only reason she can find a spot is because she gets to school earlier than most students.

“Every single parking lot that’s actually on campus is for faculty,” DiCarlo said.

Over the last year, University Parking Services converted one lot behind the CAW Student Centre from a pay-and-display student lot to a faculty lot. Students who have previously parked there have had to relocate to a distant lot. However, parking fees for students are generally much cheaper than those for faculty. The cheapest yearly rate for staff is over $500, while a yearly student pass is currently $371.

“I agree that there are not enough student parking spaces. Even though students purchased a parking permit, it is still not guaranteed that they will find a parking spot when they arrive to campus,” said Maryan Amalow, executive director of the Organization of Part-time University Students at the University of Windsor. “I don’t think that an additional 300 spaces will be enough but there should be an improvement to the extreme shortage that students have been experiencing for the past few years.”

While some students believe that the construction of the parking garage and Innovation Centre will increase parking fees, University of Windsor Students’ Alliance vice-president of administration Alyssa Atkins said this will not be the case.

“They have a budget for this kind of thing and they don’t necessarily need the money from students,” Atkins said.

Often, there are government grants supplied for this sort of construction project. The UWSA does not necessarily expect parking fees to take a sharp increase, and tuition increases require government approval.

The university’s parking services department could not be reached for comment.

The parking garage is expected to be complete by September 2013.