Despite paying for campus parking permits, many Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg students say finding a parking space during peak class hours has become increasingly difficult, leading to late arrivals, parking tickets, and schedule changes.
Students state that lots frequently fill up between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m., forcing some to arrive early, take campus shuttles, or risk receiving parking citations. Several students interviewed said the situation has affected their class schedules and daily routines.
Micah Warren, a junior media & journalism student, states his frustration because of a parking ticket he got for parking in the student commuter lot, Black Lot. While Warren is not a commuter, he had no choice but to park there due to the lack of open spaces. His professor’s policy states, “If you are late, you are absent.” Students are forced to choose between paying the price for parking somewhere or choosing their education.
CU- Bloomsburg students pay each semester for parking permits ranging from $41.00 to $61.00, plus a $2.95 parking fee. However, not being able to find a spot during peak hours leads many people to park in undesignated parking lots like Warren.
According to the Bloomsburg Parking permit website, if students have two unpaid parking tickets and get caught in a lot they are not supposed to be in, they will get towed. Tickets cost $15.00, but when paying online, there is a $5.00 fee.
CU-Bloomsburg student junior Carter Fleury, an audiology and speech-language pathology major, lives on campus but travels home at least two to three times a week.
“It’s ridiculous to me how I left my house at 10:30 a.m. and had a 35-minute commute and had to waste gas for 20 minutes just to look for a parking spot and even later having to catch a shuttle just because of how far the lot is from my class,” Fleury states.
BUPD’s parking system
The frustration doesn’t just stem from parking tickets; it also comes from the general parking rules.
Sophomore Shaylee Gavin, who majors in Biomedical Sciences, is still new to campus and not used to the area. While discussing her adjustments, Gavin says, “I don’t understand why we have to park in certain lots if some lots are emptier than others.”
This leads to frustration because students believe the parking rules do not reflect how many cars use the lot each day.
Maddie Bolger, a senior majoring in media and journalism, says she has “no choice but to wake up extra early and take the shuttle rather than having to deal with the stress of trying even to find a spot in Blue Lot.” She feels it was a waste of a parking permit when she does not really get the chance to use it.
Campus officials have a strict parking regulation that explains all the rules for BU parking. The regulations consist of six acts, covering topics from general provisions to parking areas and violations.
Bloomsburg University police officer Brad Neidig stated that he couldn’t answer many questions. While the university’s parking policies remain unchanged, students interviewed for this story said the challenges of finding parking continue to affect their daily commute, class schedules and overall campus experience.
