Clemson Parking Services Video 2

As seen in the above video as well as the embedded link, Clemson Parking services has been a pain in the rear-end of Clemson students for quite sometime. Often, it seems that they have no problem issuing tickets and towing vehicles over the most minor violations. One thing they have yet to realize, however, is that a majority of the violations occur due to a lack of adequate parking. If Parking Services were to put the money they collect from violations, which typically adds up to 2 million or more each year, to better use in the form of building an on campus parking garage or come up with other creative ways to expand the available on campus parking, it would not only help alleviate partial need for parking services, but would also relieve the stress that parking issues place on students.

 A typical day in the life of a Clemson commuter involves spending copious amounts of time stalking parking lots with diminishing hope of finding an available parking space and making it to class on time. The limited availability of commuter parking spaces frequently leads students to park in unauthorized spaces, in an effort to make it to class, and receive tickets or even have their vehicle towed as a result.

 A residential student also experiences the pain of parking services as they often find that residential parking involves a ten to fifteen minute walk from their dorm to their car. Not only is the walk lengthy but the rules that tell students where they are allowed to park and when are vague. Upon purchasing a permit, students are issued a pamphlet which contains a difficult to read, color-coded map along with loftily worded, extensive parking rules which can be hard to understand.

 As the old saying goes, “there are exceptions to every rule” and this rings true with parking services; certain employee lots become available to students at specific times each afternoon while others do not become available until later in the evening. Unless you have photographic memory, it is nearly impossible to remember which lots are available when. This often leads to tickets being issued to students who were not even aware that they were in the wrong to begin with. The echoes of the woes of students resound across this beautiful campus.

 The pain that parking services causes students continues infinitely and yet the solutions can be relatively simple. In an average fiscal year, Parking Services experiences approximately $4 million in revenue from the sale of parking permits as well as the issuing of parking citations. A parking garage would cost approximately $6-$8 million to build, dependent on the size of the garage chosen as well as the location decided upon and the average two story parking garage can provide 300-400 additional spaces. If parking services were to wisely budget their revenue, it would be feasible to build a parking garage to extend on campus parking.

 Another possible solution to the parking issues, specifically the vagueness of the rules, could be solved at the beginning of each semester. When students enter Clemson each fall, they are required to attend a Convocation. Although they hear from multiple speakers and learn a lot about the campus and the way it operates, Parking Services is one group that students fail to hear from. If Parking Services were to send a representative to speak at each convocation to explain the parking rules and how and why citations are issued as well as to answer any questions students may have about vague parking rules, it is likely that this would eliminate some of the frustration and confusion that occurs about where to park and when. Placing signs that explain the parking rules for each lot around campus could also help to solve the issue of difficult to understand rules.

 Looking at campuses whose students experience positive Parking Services relations is another potential solution to the issue of Parking Services on Clemson’s campus. Some examples of such campuses are the University of Georgia, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Mississippi and the University of Miami. These campuses provide parking garages and incentives for not parking on campus and they also offer car share programs. Although Clemson currently has an active car share program, Zipcar, it is not widely known and is relatively small.

 The discussion of possible solutions to the parking issues experienced by students can continue but the simple truth is this: Students are supposed to feel safer because of parking services and yet, most students find themselves fearful of undesired consequences such as ticketing and towing. The purpose of this petition is to open the eyes of Clemson University Parking and Transportation Services to the viewpoint of students in effort to bring about reform. If you also find yourself to be tired of Parking Service’s reign on this campus, sign this petition for change.