Security restricts juniors’ parking
October 5, 2011
Quinnipiac juniors are not allowed to park on Mount Carmel campus during weekday peak hours and are subjected to ticketing, Chief of Security & Safety David Barger said in a presentation to Hamden’s Planning and Zoning Commission Sept. 27. However, the university’s student handbook details no such rule.
According to the handbook, “students with York Hill parking decals are allowed to use the North Lot and park in the commuter area. York Hill parking decals also are valid on the North Haven campus.” There are no specifics listed distinguishing juniors and seniors, or certain hours limiting juniors’ parking privileges.
In a memorandum written by Hamden Assistant Town Planner Daniel Kops Jr., he states “contrary to the statement made to the Commission during the Public Hearing that students living at York Hill campus would not have passes allowing them to park in commuter parking lots during the day, it seems that they have been given passes. A large number of them are now driving to school, increasing traffic congestion at the West Woods/Whitney Avenue intersection, and reducing the number of prime parking spaces available for true commuters.”
Also in the memorandum, numbers given to the town commission stated that the statistics Quinnipiac provided needed to be clarified by the next meeting. According to the numbers provided by the university, only 110 less students are living off campus this year than three years ago, despite the addition of Eastview and other on-campus accommodations for seniors.
Barger was unable to comment by press time.
The Chronicle will continue to monitor happenings with this story at the Oct. 11 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.
Get It Together Qu • Oct 6, 2011 at 12:20 pm
One thing Quinnipiac has completely overlooked is the situation for people coming to Mt. Carmel from the North Haven campus. No shuttles are offered to or from North Haven, and with this new rule the only option left is for North Haven students to drive back to York Hill and park there, and wait (as the above comments pointed out) for god knows how long for a shuttle to show up. Most people who need to be on Mt. Carmel and North Haven are either athletes or upperclassmen with crazy schedules ( I happen to fall in both categories) and simply don’t have time to go park back at York Hill and take the shuttle. Quinnipiac seriously overlooked many important aspect of transportation between campuses when expanding, and it’s simply ridiculous. If schools of 20,000 students and larger campuses can have a reliable shuttle system, why cant we?
Concerned • Oct 5, 2011 at 3:18 pm
I am a commuter and I was also ecstatic when I read of the new restrictions on parking, but ‘relieved’ is right. The problem is not the Juniors wanting to park on campus, it is the shuttles. If Quinnipiac honestly thinks they can put a restriction on parking without doing something about the shuttles then they are in for a rude awakening. The shuttles should run on a set schedule. If they can’t do it continuously, they have them run at 3 or 4 times a day at the optimum times for class. The students are NOT the problem. Quinnipiac has to realize this.
Relieved • Oct 5, 2011 at 2:03 pm
I was actually talking to one of the security guards and they told me that they were doing something about parking for York Hill Residents. Honestly, reading this I became ecstatic due to the fact that I am a commuter this year. Some of my classes on Tues/Thurs start at 11AM and I always end up going to Hogan. I can get there at 10 or even a bit before and I still get the parking space close to the fields.
I think the parking situation is ridiculous, but I do understand why York Hill Residents drive to campus as well since I was once a York Hill Resident. I think the problem is more with the shuttles, since a LOT of my friends complain about them. My friend was apparently late 4 times when he took the shuttle or he was left behind because the shuttle was too full.
Either way, I personally think that Commuters need the parking area more than York Hill residents. We honestly have nowhere else to go but to stay on campus. Everyone else has their own dorm to go back to and a shuttle to take them there, no matter how ridiculous that shuttle system is.