Campus growth stresses parking capacity

Campus parking lots were near capacity the first week of classes. Photo by Jeff Foster

Record student enrollment brought a record number of cars to campus last week.

Jim Spice, executive director, Parking and Transportation Services, said the university’s 5,195 parking spaces were mostly occupied Monday through Thursday. The peak demand occurred at approximately 10 a.m. each day. Parking Services staff members helped some students to park along roadways in lot 15 near Four Diamonds as a temporary measure the afternoon of Aug. 28.

Spice anticipated parking becoming more difficult this week when the city of Colorado Springs implements parking restrictions in the Cragmor neighborhood south of campus. In coming months, street parking in the area near University Hall on the campus’ east side also will be restricted by the city.

As a contingency if lots overflow, Parking and Transportation Services will allow students, faculty and staff to park at the Freedom Financial Expo Center, 3650 N. Nevada, and ride a free shuttle to main campus.

In response to neighborhood complaints, the city will prohibit on-street parking from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Cragmor neighborhood. Property owners will receive two permits per home that allow on-street parking. For more information about the parking restrictions, please visit http://www.springsgov.com/Page.aspx?NavID=4971

In anticipation of the Cragmor restrictions, Parking and Transportation Services added an additional shuttle bus and expanded shuttle operating hours. Shuttles now run every five to 20 minutes from 6:40 a.m. to 10:35 p.m.

Spice encouraged faculty, staff and students to take advantage of shuttles, to carpool, or ride city buses to campus in an effort to reduce campus parking problems. Individuals who park in the Cragmor neighborhood in violation of city ordinances may face fines of $85 per violation.

HUB permits, which allow parking on main campus, are sold out with a 400 person wait list, Spice said. N permits, which allow campus community members to park at University Hall anytime and after 4:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday (all day Friday) on main campus are still available. Single day permits are also available. For more information about parking options, please visit http://www.uccs.edu/pts/

A new, 1,227 parking garage on the west side of campus near the intersection of Stanton Road and Austin Bluffs is under construction and should be completed by March 2014.