At Plattsburgh State, parking on campus can be an easy experience for some students, but for others, it could be a struggle.
Many parking lots on campus have limited parking space available to students, such as the lots near Ward Hall and Redcay Hall. Students sometimes have trouble finding empty parking spaces in this area, so they sometimes park in the faculty lots and receive tickets from University Police.
PSUC has 5,718 undergraduate and graduate students, according to the PSUC website. Recore said there are 1,479 parking spaces available for students, but not all students own a car or drive.
“There are 853 faculty and staff parking spaces. For off-campus students, there are 604, and for on-campus students there are 875 parking spaces, giving students more parking than faculty,” Recore said. “Parking lots are generally closer to the dorms, so students can have closer parking access. Where it becomes an issue is near the academic buildings like Hawkins, Ward Hall and Redcay.”
PSUC TV/video production major Ethan Campana said parking is stressful, and the lots are too far away from his dorm.
PSUC psychology major Elijah Fitzgerald said he doesn’t have trouble parking because he lives off campus and takes early classes.
“Parking on campus is all right,” Fitzgerald said. “If you can’t find parking over in Myers parking lot, there’s always spots available elsewhere.”
Recore said PSUC has a long-term plan to address parking and safety issues, but she also said this process has to be approved through a parking committee and cannot happen overnight.
However, PSUC added a small parking lot near Redcay Hall two years ago to alleviate pressure near Redcay caused by more students going to Ausable Hall. The lots in this area see the most congestion from students and faculty between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Recore said.
“We don’t guarantee parking close to your intended destination,” Recore said. “However, there is always available parking in certain areas.”
She said the lot near Banks Hall offers more parking for off-campus students and faculty.
Some students, when they receive tickets, are surprised by either the cost or the charge. Students who have concerns about ticket information or want to know about the appeal process can visit the college’s website.
PSUC criminal justice major Justin Mastowski said he thinks “$25 is a lot for a ticket,” and that he “got so many tickets he considered transferring schools.”
However, Parking Manager Gail Recore and UP Chief Jerry Lottie said PSUC compared these fees to other SUNY schools and found that the fines for tickets are on the lower end of the spectrum.
Students can always appeal tickets if they feel wrongly ticketed, and they may file an appeal with UP. However, he or she must do so within five days of receiving the ticket, or University Police will consider the original ticket valid.
For students to stay on top of their schedules, Lottie said they should plan on arriving a few minutes early.
“It relieves the stress of being late to class because you can’t find the parking space you want,” Lottie said. “There are always parking spaces. It may not be the primo parking spaces next to the front door, but it is there, and if you don’t feel safe walking across campus to your destination, University Police provides an escort.”
Email Markiesha Thompson at markiesha.thompson@cardinalpointsonline.com
