Currently there are 4,168 student parking spaces, 609 faculty and staff places, number of residential hall spaces and number of handi-cap parking spaces on campus, which the University officials think are an adequate number of parking spaces as per student on campus.
According to Tommy Ponson, assistant director for residential services, 4747 decals have been purchased so far. Commuter students have purchased 3,466 decals and 343 residential decals have been purchased. Mean while, 760 faculty and staff decals and 38 handi-cap decals have been purchased this fall semester.
Ponson said the number of decals distributed is proportionate in terms of adequate parking spaces available to students. The process of distributing decals is on going through out the year. Decals can be picked up in Student Life from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and at the beginning of each semester the decal distribution hours are expanded from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“I do not think there is a parking problem on campus. There are plenty enough parking spaces available to students. The problem is people are to lazy to walk to their classes,” Lee Rodgers, business administration graduate from Gretna, said.
According to the Office of Assessment and Institutional Research, the approximate number of students on campus before 1 p.m. in a week period is 4,259. The heaviest traffic of cars on campus on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays is from 8:35 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. is the time the most students are parked on campus.
“I do believe there is a parking problem on campus because by 8:45 a.m. on a Tuesday or Thursday I have to park by Guidry Stadium because there are no available parking spots. The university needs to determine the faculty and staff parking spaces needed because it changes every semester and could open spaces for students,” Michael Cobb, business administration junior from Houma, said. “A very simple solution to the parking problem on campus could be to build a parking garage.”
Many alternative ideas have been thrown around to solve the “parking problem” on campus such as the idea of a parking garage. The Student Government Association discussed the idea of a parking garage and found that the idea was not feasible.
Jarrett Hubbell, SGA president, said the time and money put into building a parking garage would be to the disadvantage of the students. The students would initially lose an entire parking lot while awaiting the construction of a parking garage which would initially create even less parking spaces available for students.
According to Michael Davis, assistant vice president of business affairs, procurement and plant purchasing, none of the eight schools in the Universities of Louisiana System have a parking garage and the state would not fund the project. The construction of a parking garage would take between a year and 18 months and would cost students somewhere between $1,000 to $1,2000 per parking space. Davis said the idea of building a parking garage is “highly remote and cost prohibitive.”
Aside from the $20 to $250 parking violation fee, the only way students’ cars can be towed or impounded is if students violate the handi-cap parking or park in the emergency lanes. Nicholls students who do not pay or appeal their tickets within 15 working days lose the right to appeal a ticket and are accessed an additional $20 delinquent fee for each violation. If the students never pay a ticket they can possibly be blocked from registration or if they leave or transfer from the University they will not be able to obtain a transcript. In contrast, at Louisiana State University, students have seven days to pay their tickets and after three unregistered tickets, LSU students will have their vehicle towed and impounded until the owner registers the vehicle and receives an LSU parking permit.
“The parking violation most students get ticketed for is not having decals and for parking in faculty and staff spaces. Most students use the excuse they did not know but all they have to do is read the signs and use the handbook that comes with their decal.” Danny Kraemer, Nicholls University police captain, said. “The best way for students to find a good parking space is to come a half an hour before classes start instead of arriving on campus five minutes before class.”