As the fall semester commences, students at the University of North Florida are reporting multiple issues with parking and traffic on campus.
Increased traffic has caused longer wait times for students driving on campus and difficulty finding spots in the two main parking garages. University officials say the heightened demand is typical at the start of the term. On Tuesday, the director said Parking and Transportation Services is currently assessing the situation and will determine if adjustments are needed in the coming weeks.
There are two parking garages on campus: the Arena Parking Garage located next to the Student Union, and the Fine Arts Center Parking Garage next to the Lazarra Theater. Both garages require a blue parking permit, which sells out the fastest.
Multiple students report difficulty finding parking spots in the garages.
“It just seems like there are too many cars,” said junior Morgan Minardi.
One student noted that the garages appear to be fuller compared to the beginning of previous semesters. This fall, the university admitted its largest incoming freshman class, with nearly 3,200 new students enrolling.
“In the spring semester, I could get to campus 15 minutes before class and get a pretty good spot in the garage,” senior Lacie North said. “I have the same schedule this semester as I did in the spring, but this semester I’ve gotten to campus an hour before my classes and I’m fighting for a spot.”
Additionally, North pointed out some dangers of the garages being too crowded and competitive.
“I’ve seen people run the stop signs in hopes of beating me to a spot… I can’t tell you how many times I’ve almost been in an accident,” North said.
UNF Parking addresses student concerns
In response to the concerns, UNF’s Parking and Transportation Services acknowledged the spike in parking activity and explained how they are monitoring and addressing the situation.
“Parking Services is aware of the increased parking activity on campus during the start of the fall term,” said Salena Laws, director of Parking and Transportation Services.
Laws said a lot count began today and is scheduled for the rest of the week. The lot count will be used to better understand current usage and identify potential adjustments, according to Laws.
According to Parking Services, the beginning of the semester traditionally sees an uptick in demand due to several factors listed below.
- Students are spending more time on campus for activities and to get acquainted
- Newcomers unfamiliar with permit regulations
- Continued sale of daily parking permits after the semester and annual permits sell out
- Campus events that attract both students and community members
- A rise in housing residents purchasing permits
- Faculty and staff are purchasing blue permits throughout the year
- Faculty/staff permits allow parking in blue spaces when designated faculty/staff spaces are full.
Parking Services suggests the current strain may be temporary. Based on past trends, they expect parking conditions to ease during weeks two through four as newcomers become familiar with parking rules and regulations, housing assignments finalize and the drop/add period concludes.
For now, the message from Parking Services is clear: patience is key during the early weeks of the term.
“We appreciate your patience and understanding as we monitor and respond to these early-term dynamics,” Laws said.
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