Whether in the lunch line or walking to class, we often overhear students talking about parking. While parking availability continues to be a challenge for students, The Antelope has run into other parking concerns on campus.
Lot 10 has a lot of blind spots that are hazardous for drivers and the University shouldn’t wait for something to happen before a solution is created.
Many commuters park in Lot 10 next to the Fine Arts Building and Health and Sports Center. Its popularity for commuters makes sense, as it is the most central commuter lot on campus for students. But because of this, the lot tends to be a high-traffic area that faces lots of congestion.
Since the majority of the lot is typically occupied/full, it makes it hard for drivers to see anything. Our staff members have found in their experience that a line of sight is nonexistent when entering, driving in and exiting the lot. We have found that when navigating through the parking rows, it is hard to see who is coming from the right or left.
A driver has to be in traffic in order to see where they are going.a The dangers of this are obvious.
There is no direct flow of traffic, meaning cars can take any route through the lot. The Antelope sees the added stress this can cause since the lot is already congested and the parking rows feel narrow. Cars trying to maneuver both ways through the lot have to be extremely aware and cautious due to the lack of space.
Other factors decreasing driver visibility in the FAB parking lot include the shipping crates and construction equipment.
Many students cross the intersection between Lot 10 and the front of the Health and Sports Center to get to class. During the fifteen minute intervals between classes ending and beginning, cars wait for the endless line of students to get across the intersection. Traffic starts to build up and the potential for disaster increases.
The dangers present in Lot 10 need to be addressed before an accident occurs.
We see the safety concerns for drivers near Lot 10 and want to keep students safe. The Antelope recommends removing the last parking spot in each row so drivers can see who is coming from the sides better. While we are aware of students wanting more parking on campus, we believe that making these changes will increase student safety.
Our staff also recommends placing a convx safety mirror on the side of the Health and Sports Center. This will help drivers who are at the stop sign in the row before pulling out onto the main road that enters Lot 14.
