“On a daily basis, we have had available parking even during peak periods,” said Vice President for Administration Claude Rounds. “The parking strategies we’ve developed are designed to increase the probability that there will be a parking space for everyone on campus.”

According to estimates by Rounds’ department, by the time construction on the parking garage and Biotech building is complete, the campus will regain the lost spaces plus 160 entirely new parking spaces. However, at the present time the new 500-car parking garage that has been pointed to as the solution to the parking problem will only be open to faculty members, and there are currently no plans to re-zone any lots for student use. “When the garage opens,” Rounds said, “we will evaluate the occupancy, and once we get a handle on the utilization we will make recommendations for future changes…. we have no plans to relocate student parking to core campus.”

Under the parking plan established by the administration department before construction began, three phases are required to return campus parking to normal. The first phase involved moving a great deal of student parking and commuter students to the lots near the Houston Field House and the creation of a busing service to run between those lots and the main campus. This service, now known as the Redhawk Shuttle, was originally intended to be a temporary solution, but has now become permanent. The second phase, beginning in January 2004, involves opening the garage, which is estimated to take several months. Then, next fall, the third phase will begin, when the trailers that house offices at the Biotech construction site are removed and the space is converted primarily to a parking lot.

However, the plan to ensure ease of parking on campus during construction does not seem to have solved all problems, many of which may stem from a single issue: oversubscribing. At present, there is no cap on the number of permits that may be sold, which causes problems when everyone who buys a permit expects to have a space. D (“Dorm”) permits, for example, allow access to all the lots on Freshman Hill except the one between Hall and Warren Halls, which is approximately 180 spaces. According to the parking office, 207 D permits have been sold—an oversell of 15 percent. Parking staff say that this has not caused any problems, but it has angered some students.

“I think any overselling is unreasonable,” said Jason Coutermarsh ’06. “I mean, at a concert, they don’t sell you a ticket and say, ‘Well, go look around and see if you can find a seat. If not, sorry, better luck next time.’”

According to Rounds, parking permits for the garage will cost $350 when it first opens, and they will not be oversold at all.

Starting October 20, the gates installed at lots around campus this summer will go into operation, closing off lots to everyone without an appropriate transponder from 8 am to 5 pm weekdays. But under current plans, the gates will be open at all other times to provide access to the lots during off-peak hours. The presence of the gates does not mean that the lots are permanently closed to students or other personnel, Rounds said, but rather just an automation of the ticket system by Public Safety. If it is determined that a gated lot will be rezoned, he said, then the people who purchase permits for that lot will be given transponders.

In addition, more spaces around campus will be converted to metered parking. Memos from the administration department report that 31 existing spaces will be converted to metered, raising the number to 150. The Institute and the City of Troy are also currently negotiating a plan to put meters along 15th Street and College Avenue.