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Published on Tuesday, October 9, 2007
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"I wasted 60 dollars" says Jenny Stern, a senior art major, in regards to her yellow parking pass on Thursday morning. She commutes an hour and twenty minutes 3 days a week to NIU, and yet still has to park along College Avenue because the yellow lots are always full. | Tim Davis

Commuting students outnumber amount of available parking spaces
By JOHN RANALLO
Last updated on 00/00/0000 at 12:00 a.m.

Parking availability is an issue many students deal with daily.

Many commuting students find themselves searching for parking spots. Yellow parking stickers, which cost $65 annually, are designed for commuter students.

There are currently 5,713 active yellow parking permits and about 2,036 yellow spots available.

“Sometimes, I’ll have to drive around for half an hour or more,” said Jen Sledzinski, a communication studies graduate student.

According to NIU’s campus parking map, the NIU parking deck houses three levels for commuting students.

Certain blue lots are also open to students with yellow parking stickers after 4 p.m. Although there are more than five yellow lots for student parking, some students still report difficulty parking.

“There definitely is a parking problem,” Sledzinski said.

Sledzinski said the availability and cost of parking at NIU could be improved.
“The price for a yellow parking pass would be worth it, if you’re guaranteed to get a spot,” Sledzinski said.

For students who arrive on campus early, there are generally fewer problems finding areas to park.

“Depending on the time of day someone comes to campus, it is more difficult to find convenient parking, but there is parking available,” said Laura Lundelius, coordinator of parking and traffic.

Lundelius said that during peak times, it is easy for students to be discouraged, but she urged students to continue searching, as some lots are under-used.

“If a lot is full, they should go to another yellow lot. The under-utilized lots are lot K, L, 15E and X,” Lundelius said.

Students should be aware of what lots their passes allow them to park in. Parking in the wrong could result in a $40 fine.

Parking services offers a printable parking map through the NIU Web site.


By joey  |  Tuesday, October 9, 2007  |  12:14 am
I don't think NIU officials realize how discouraging it is to students who are forced to drive around for forty minutes before finding a place to park, making them late or even creating a reason to not go.
I would like to know:
1) Where does the $60 that students pay for a parking pass actually go?
2) How many parking spots are designated for professors and other staff members compared with the number of staff member parking passes?
3) Are there plans to build any more lots? Because with the rising number of students coming to NIU each number, it means more commuter students, and more commuter students parking places will be needed.
By Newsiteisawful  |  Tuesday, October 9, 2007  |  6:17 pm
A couple of problems create the inability to find parking. One is people refuse to go to the lots that are farther away. Wake up, people. If you think you're going to sign up for a 11 oclock class and get a parking spot close you're just not thinking. Quit driving around for half hour. Go to the farther lots. They're NOT full.
Second, true commuters are competing for spots with LIARS. Yes, when you tell the university you live at your parents home while you have an apartment in DeKalb so you can get a yellow permit. You are a liar. You are falsifying university documents. We've all seen the parking lots at the apartment complexes. There are a LOT of people who find it perfectly acceptable to LIE to the university to help themselves at the expense of others.
Third, in my opinion Graduate Assistants should not receive yellow permits unless they live outside of DeKalb. In your story, the girl who commutes 1:20 (I doubt it, she probably has a place in DeKalb) is competing for a spot with the Graduate Assistant who most likely lives in DeKalb.
People living in DeKalb should be taking the bus, walking or taking a bike. Yellow permits should only be for true commuters. Unfortunately, too many people lie.
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