HPER building provides better parking for members, students
Taniah Tudor
Issue date: 2/6/09 Section: News
Parking has gotten easier and less expensive for those who use the facilities in the HPER building and attend special events in the building and the surrounding areas.
Recently, the old softball field next to the HPER building was changed into parking lot 67, creating 120 new spaces.
Now the metered parking has changed its free hours from after 8 p.m. to after 5 p.m., said Andy Gilbride, program adviser for Parking.
The metered parking free hours had been changed from after 5 p.m. to after 8 p.m. because so many students were leaving their cars parked there overnight, Gilbride said. Now there are so many available parking spaces, the turnover is much better. Parking was able to change the free hours back to 5 p.m.
When the softball field was still there, available student spaces had become permanent parking, said Craig Edmonston, director for Intramural Recreational Sports.
Whenever IMRS has done surveys in the past, there were always comments about inadequate parking, Edmonston said.
The metered parking, which was only free after 8 p.m. at the time the softball field was still next to the HPER building, was not being well utilized, Edmonston said.
When the metered parking changed to being free after 5 p.m., more people began using the lot, Edmonston said.
Peak usage for the HPER building is during the winter months of November to March, from 3:30 p.m. to close, Edmonston said. He has not seen a huge increase in people using the HPER building, since these hours have been maxed for usage for the last 4 to 5 years, he said.
"Our customers are happier because they can park closer," Edmonston said.
"I think it is a change for the better," said Jackson Spradley, a sophomore. "It's a free facility to use, and I think it should be free parking as well."
Adequate parking for campus recreational buildings is important, Edmonston said.
It is also important that there is ample parking for sports events in that area, he said. Many non-university people attend events on campus, and their first impression is how they are treated on campus, he said.
The new parking lot makes it easier to deal with special event traffic, Edmonston said.
"It will make it convenient for a lot more people," said Katie Kennan, a sophomore music major.
Recently, the old softball field next to the HPER building was changed into parking lot 67, creating 120 new spaces.
Now the metered parking has changed its free hours from after 8 p.m. to after 5 p.m., said Andy Gilbride, program adviser for Parking.
The metered parking free hours had been changed from after 5 p.m. to after 8 p.m. because so many students were leaving their cars parked there overnight, Gilbride said. Now there are so many available parking spaces, the turnover is much better. Parking was able to change the free hours back to 5 p.m.
When the softball field was still there, available student spaces had become permanent parking, said Craig Edmonston, director for Intramural Recreational Sports.
Whenever IMRS has done surveys in the past, there were always comments about inadequate parking, Edmonston said.
The metered parking, which was only free after 8 p.m. at the time the softball field was still next to the HPER building, was not being well utilized, Edmonston said.
When the metered parking changed to being free after 5 p.m., more people began using the lot, Edmonston said.
Peak usage for the HPER building is during the winter months of November to March, from 3:30 p.m. to close, Edmonston said. He has not seen a huge increase in people using the HPER building, since these hours have been maxed for usage for the last 4 to 5 years, he said.
"Our customers are happier because they can park closer," Edmonston said.
"I think it is a change for the better," said Jackson Spradley, a sophomore. "It's a free facility to use, and I think it should be free parking as well."
Adequate parking for campus recreational buildings is important, Edmonston said.
It is also important that there is ample parking for sports events in that area, he said. Many non-university people attend events on campus, and their first impression is how they are treated on campus, he said.
The new parking lot makes it easier to deal with special event traffic, Edmonston said.
"It will make it convenient for a lot more people," said Katie Kennan, a sophomore music major.
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