PROBLEMS
      WITH
      PARKING
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By:
      Jonathan
      Smith
     
     
      Reporter
     
    

    
     
      Even
      if
      one
      doesn’t
      bring
     
     
      a
      car
      anywhere
      near
      campus
      in
     
     
      the
      run
      of
      the
      day,
      I
      think
      it’s
      a
     
     
      fair
      assumption
      that
      every
      UPEI
     
     
      student
      has
      at
      least
      heard
      that
      the
     
     
      campus
      has
      parking
      problems.
     
     
      We
      hear
      all
      about
      how
      it’s
      nearly
     
     
      impossible
      to.find
      a
      space
      during
     
     
      any
      regular
      hours,
      and
      hear
      the
     
     
      horror
      stories
      of
      having
      to
      park
     
     
      all
      the
      way
      in
      the
      parking
      lot
      of
     
     
      the
      Farmer’s
      Market
      and
      other
     
     
      such
      locations.
      It’s
      occasionally
     
     
      seen
      that
      the
      security
      force
      is
     
     
      incompetent
      when
      it
      comes
      to
     
     
      such
      issues,
      but
      what
      is
      the
      real
     
     
      scenario?
     
    

    
     
      Recently
      UPEI
      had
      a
      con-
     
     
      sultant
      come
      in
      and
      look
      at
      the
     
     
      parking
      situation.
      The
      look
     
     
      included
      all
      aspects
      of
      parking
     
     
      management,
      the
      condition
      of
      the
     
     
      lot
      surfaces,
      the
      number
      of
      spots
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "welll
      deduct
      §
      $2.0
     
    
   
   
    
     
      there
      are
      per
      individual
      users,
      as
     
     
      well
      relevant
      infrastructure
      such
     
     
      as
      lights
      and,
      hopefully
      not
      so
     
     
      much
      at
      this
      time
      of
      year,
      such
     
     
      issues
      as
      snow
      removal.
      Overall,
     
     
      the
      report
      was
      pretty
      positive.
     
     
      There
      was
      nothing
      reported
      to
      be
     
     
      below
      standard.
      One
      of
      the
      only
     
     
      major
      issues
      reported
      was
      that
      if
     
     
      anything
      the
      university
      needs
     
     
      more
      barrier-free
      “blue”
      spaces.
     
     
      In
      fact,
      if
      anything,
      there
      may
      be
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      more
      spots
      than
      are
      called
      for.
     
     
      Upon
      hearing
      such
      a
     
     
      report,
      the
      average
      user
      of
      cam-
     
     
      pus
      parking
      is
      probably
      likely
      to
     
     
      raise
      a
      questioning
      eyebrow.
     
     
      That
      certainly
      wouldn’t
      seem
      to
     
     
      be
      the
      case.
      Anyone
      will
      report
     
     
      that
      getting
      a
      spot
      beyond
      the
     
     
      hour
      of
      10
      AM
      is
      a
      difficult
     
     
      chore,
      and
      a
      solution
      certainly
     
     
      wouldn’t
      be
      to
      all
      arrive
      an
      hour
     
     
      earlier,
      as
      that
      would
      merely
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      make
      the
      problem
      occur
      earlier
     
     
      in
      the
      day.
      However,
      according
     
     
      to
      Allen
      Veale,
      the
      assistant
      man-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      ager
      of
      parking
      and
      building
     
    
   
   
    
     
      security,
      the
      problem
      really
      isn’t
     
     
      in
      the
      fact
      there
      aren’t
      enough
     
     
      spaces.
     
    

    
     
      A
      major
      problem
      is
      that
     
     
      UPEI
      is
      a
      university
      that,
      despite
     
     
      appearances,
      is
      growing
      at
      a
      very
     
     
      rapid
      rate.
      However,
      due
      to
      the
     
     
      campus
      location,
      the
      only
      way
      to
     
     
      grow
      is
      out
      in
      a
      peripheral
      fash-
     
     
      ion.
      As
      more
      buildings
      and
      cam-
     
     
      pus
      areas
      are
      developed,
      parking
     
     
      keeps
      getting
      pushed
      further
      and
     
     
      further
      back
      along
      the
      outside.
     
     
      However,
      because
      only
      certain
     
     
      areas
      are
      developed
      at
      one
      time,
     
     
      this
      means
      the
      changes
      aren’t
      ter-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Cadre
      April
      5,
      2004
      page
      6
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ribly
      consistent
      in
      terms
      of
      where
     
     
      to
      relocate
      parking
      spaces.
      So
      the
     
     
      problem
      may
      not
      be
      so
      much
      that
     
     
      there
      aren’t
      enough
      spaces,
      but
     
     
      rather
      that
      they’re
      not
      properly
      or
     
     
      conveniently
      placed.
      There
      is
      of
     
     
      course
      the
      factor
      that
      almost
     
     
      everyone
      wants
      that
      parking
     
     
      space
      that
      is
      close
      to
      the
      building
     
     
      they
      have
      class
      in.
     
    

    
     
      In
      terms
      of
      paying
      for
     
     
      parking
      (a
      major
      complaint),
     
     
      Veale
      points
      out
      that
      to
      resurface
     
     
      a
      medium-sized
      lot
      can
      cost
      up
      to
     
     
      $60,000--a
      lot
      of
      money,
      espe-
     
     
      cially
      when
      compared
      to
      the
      cuts
     
     
      the
      university
      has
      sustained.
      The
     
     
      new
      MacLauchlan
      Arena
      parking
     
     
      lot
      has
      about
      450
      spaces,
      which
     
     
      is
      more
      than
      the
      old
      parking
      lot
      E
     
     
      (bulldozed
      to
      make
      way
      for
      the
     
     
      arena)
      ever
      offered.
      The
      hope
      is
     
     
      that
      the
      difference
      in
      peak
      hours
     
     
      between
      the
      univeristy
      and
      the
     
     
      arena
      will
      allow
      ample
      availabil-
     
     
      ity
      to
      students.
     
    

    
     
      With
      the
      construction
      of
     
     
      new
      buildings
      and
      repairs
      to
     
     
      existing
      ones
      that
      are
      going
      to
     
     
      occur
      over
      the
      next
      few
      years,
     
     
      there
      will
      be
      new
      _
      parking.
     
     
      Though
      this
      doesn’t
      offer
      much
     
     
      day
      to
      day
      now,
      it’s
      still
      nice
      to
     
     
      hear.
      A
      new
      lot
      will
      be
      developed
     
     
      with
      the
      new
      residence,
      and
      more
     
     
      parking
      will
      be
      added
      on
      the
     
     
      north
      side
      of
      Blanchard
      hall.
      As
     
     
      the
      campus
      continues
      to
      grow,
      so
     
     
      will
      the
      demand
      for
      parking.
      This
     
     
      is
      partly
      due
      to
      the
      fact
      that
     
     
      majority
      of
      students
      live
      off
      cam-
     
     
      pus,
      and
      thus.
      bring
      their
      vehicles
     
     
      to
      campus
      for
      the
      day.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      continued
      on
      page
      16