Since the Hogan Lot closure, North Lot has become the designated parking lot for rideshare services like Uber and Lyft. Students using these services have been experiencing confusion and inconsistencies from Public Safety as the new policy is implemented.
The Chronicle conducted a survey investigating the inconsistency of the new policy.
In an article published earlier this month regarding the closure, Public Safety Chief Tony Reyes wrote to The Chronicle that moving driving services to North Lot was intended to “reduce traffic congestion, prevent hazardous conditions and to keep our campus community safe.”
So far, students have not experienced any improvement. Despite North Lot’s central location on campus, many students are inconvenienced by the new location because Hogan Lot is much closer to most dorm buildings.
“It’s annoying that (drivers) can’t go to Hogan because it is right next to my dorm (in Mountainview),” Ashlyn Pinet, a first-year nursing student said. “So now I have to walk all the way (to North Lot).”
Many students share her frustration. In addition to the added walk across campus, students have reported confusion from rideshare drivers now directed to North Lot. The Uber app still designates Hogan Lot as a pick up and drop off point for Quinnipiac University.
While vehicles arriving at Hogan Lot are being turned away by police or public safety officers, there are mixed messages of where they should be going next.
“There’s been a couple instances I’ve had, especially with DoorDash specifically, where they will get bounced between the different entrances,” Vincient Raggozino, a first-year accounting major, said.
He has noticed lots of miscommunication between the lots.
“I had a driver who went to Hogan and he got turned around and he got told not to go to North lot, he got told to go (to South gate), and he went over there and they told him to go to Hogan,” he said.
It is clear there is as much confusion among Public Safety officers over the new policy as there is between students.
This is not the only problem students have observed since the Hogan closure. The inconsistency in policy for vehicle identification at North Lot is raising concerns for some students.
Drivers arriving at North Lot are required to stop at the gate to provide identification and proof of the services they are providing. However, there seems to be significant variation in how this policy is followed.
“I feel like we preach being a safe campus,” Gabriella Acevedo, a sophomore economics and political science major, said.
However, when she arrived on campus in an Uber the officer at the gate did not stop the car or identify it.
“They kind of just looked at (the driver) and let us go right through,” she said.
Of the students surveyed by The Chronicle, only 53% say they were stopped at the gate compared to 47% who say there was no attempt to identify the car arriving at North Lot. A majority of these instances occurred when vehicles entered campus at night.
“I mean I think it’s important,” Kate Marin, a freshman health science major, said. “I think they should definitely check ID.”
This inconsistency is causing concern over campus safety and security, especially given the large number of vehicles now passing through North Lot.
Despite North Lot’s larger space, traffic congestion concerns have not been solved. Students described a chaotic scene over the past weekend when all rideshare traffic was directed to one area.
Emma Roach, a freshman history major, was overwhelmed when trying to find her ride.
“There were like 20 other Ubers trying to pick up different people, so you never know who was there for who, and then cars were almost running into each other,” she said. “It was just a lot.”
The Hogan Lot closure was intended to address these issues, and create a safe space for students and drivers. So far, nothing has been solved with the move to North Lot.
Students hope that their current concerns will be addressed as the campus adjusts to the Hogan closure. As Acevedo put it; “It’s new.” It may take some time for students and drivers to adjust to the new policy as these issues are ironed out by Public Safety.
