“Open parking spaces on campus have become scarce and according to one graduate assistant, it’s not going to get any better. David Holland, a history graduate assistant, said there was a planned parking shortage for this semester. The University of Akron has known about the parking shortage since 2006, but has not done anything to fix it, according to Holland.”
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Open parking spaces on campus have become scarce and according to one graduate assistant, it’s not going to get any better.

David Holland, a history graduate assistant, said there was a planned parking shortage for this semester.

The University of Akron has known about the parking shortage since 2006, but has not done anything to fix it, according to Holland.

This is a planned shortage, something they designed and they took no action whatsoever to make up for it, Holland said.

Holland presented his findings at an Associated Student Government meeting this past Tuesday. He focused more on the parking situation for the current year and less on future recommendations. According to Holland, ASG was in agreement with him on the parking shortage found on campus.

Holland has been in contact with members of the parking task force.

Holland said John Case, Vice President and CFO for UA – as well as the chair of the parking task force – told him that the university is beginning to act on the recommendations he has made.

Holland said his recommendations included leasing additional lots near UA, building a new parking deck and reconfiguring existing lots.

Holland, however, said the responses Case provided are too vague and made no mention of a construction timeline.

Jim Stafford, director for parking services, said that the notion of a planned parking shortage is simply not true.

He said on the university’s worst parking day, Student Appreciation Day, there were about 600 free parking spaces during the day.

There is about 2,500 to 3,000 less students in the spring than in the fall, Stafford said. I think that in combination with trying to get more spaces we’ll have enough parking for spring.

The university has recently acquired more parking for the spring semester. Parking will be available at the Quaker Square Inn, where approximately 495 spaces will be available.

The Urban League parking lot at the north end of campus has 55 spaces available and Fir Hill plaza will have 37 spaces that were not available for this semester. Twenty additional spaces are located in Fir Hill’s column deck.

Stafford said UA is looking at property on Exchange Street where 300 spaces could be added if obtained by the university.

Yet, Holland said, it is not coming soon enough.

I have been attending here for several years; parking is incredibly bad this year, Holland said.

Holland’s experiences, parking at UA motivated him to research the parking situation on campus. His hope is that his research will push UA into action and he said he will pursue the issue until it is fixed.

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” #1.1361467:2676901970.jpg:20071127_parking_cb.jpg:The five levels of the North Campus Parking Deck filled quickly on Monday.:Chistopher Bair”