In response to numerous complaints and suggestions, Parking and Transportation will divide the expansive yellow parking zone into three new colored zones next semester, making a total of eight zones.
This year, the yellow zone was comprised of the areas near the BankUnited Center (BUC), Wellness Center, Pavia Garage, and Eaton and Mahoney-Pearson Residential Colleges. The new changes will make Pavia and its surroundings areas a pink zone, Mahoney-Pearson will be designated white, and yellow will maintain the areas near the Wellness Center and the BUC.
According to Director of Parking and Transportation Richard Sobaram, the decision to divide yellow into three zones had been discussed since October. The only problem was whether to enact the changes for this past spring semester or wait until next fall.
Sobaram said another issue was reducing the number of cars “hunting” for spots throughout campus, especially near what Sobaram calls “the academic core,” or the University Center. This hunting problem was a major factor that initially led to the colored parking zones.
“In previous years, we sold people a hunting license, giving you the right to hunt for a parking spot,” Sobaram said. “That created a lot of intercampus trips.”
Students like senior Kevin Peterson chose the yellow zone because of its proximity to the Wellness Center. However, he will consider switching to the new Mahoney-Pearson zone to get assured parking near his classes.
“I usually park in front of the BUC because I don’t like garages, and most spots are packed early,” he said. “I would try to get the white zone because it’s near my classes at Merrick.”
Peterson, however, feels that the division of the yellow zone will not have much of an effect on easing parking problems. Others like sophomore Karam Alawa believe that this may help.
“I think so, but only time will tell” Alawa said. “Last year it cost $400 to park in all areas when it now costs the same to park only in yellow.”
Though many seek to claim the new zones’ close distance to classes and the central area of campus, freshman Stefania Pinto is worried that the division of yellow will affect the options she had within the yellow zone.
“I’m probably going to switch to Pavia, so I’m not happy with the division,” she said. “Because I’m a psychology major, I take a lot of classes at Flipse, and I park next to the BUC and Rainbow Building to get to class.”
Pinto also felt that the new floors of Pavia should have been completed sooner. According to Sobaram, the new levels will open in late May and the first floor will be reserved for visitors.