Parking lot construction sparks questions

The hunt for parking spaces just got a lot more difficult for Richland students and faculty.

Due to a new renovation project, parking lots A and B, located near Thunderduck and Sabine Halls, were shut down Oct. 10 and will be closed until Nov. 17.

"Parking lots A and B have not been in good shape for some time and we keep repairing them," Director of Facilities Eddie Hueston said. "This project aims to do the repairs correctly. It is a complete renovation and we're actually going to completely demolish the parking lots."

With approximately 20,000 students vying for parking spots, one can't help but wonder why renovations are being done so early in the school year.

"One of the major reasons is the moderate time of the year," Hueston said. "People are going to have to walk further to get from their car to the campus. Also, a more practical matter is that asphalt is not produced after the first of December. It's too cold and it doesn't go down correctly, so it's not even available."

According to Hueston, the facilities department has made an effort to accommodate students and faculty. Signs directing people to other parking lots have been put up and campus police have been directing and controlling the flow of traffic.

"There were about 500 parking spaces in those lots, but we do have vacant spaces, even at the busiest parts of the day, in parking lots D and E," Hueston said.

"There are spots available, of course, during class change in all of the lots.  We also believe that with the amount of online courses that are being offered now, less people are driving their cars to the campus."