“We understand that for some people this morning, the parking at Clemson was overwhelming,” said Transportation and Parking Services in an email to students utilizing commuter parking spaces on-campus, in response to the morning of Aug. 30.
The organization reached out to all students with commuter parking passes via email about using alternate transportation, considering carpooling and other potential solutions to improve students’ negative parking experiences.
Following the email sent out, there have been multiple concerns regarding the lack of parking and transit bus issues directed to Parking and Transportation Services, along with the Infrastructure and Operations committee within student government.
“There has been a large concern since the beginning of the semester regarding parking. I do understand that it’s a compound issue, meaning it is not one specific problem causing the shortage, and I do also agree from the student side that there should be action and publication on the issue,” said Minhyun Shin, senior bioengineering major, Infrastructure and Operations committee chair.
The senate did not receive any response from Dan Hofmann, the Transportation and Parking Services director, until Aug. 30. Hofmann commented, “This was expected, as this happens every year for the first couple of weeks.” Hoffman continued to share other parking lot options, including park-n-ride lots.
Hofmann addressed University communication on parking regulations stating, “This has been clearly messaged via email when we opened permit sales and we sent an email yesterday and again today reminding them of their options. It is also clearly spelled out in the permit guidelines that they should have read before purchasing their permits.”
Shin then sent three follow-up emails after Hofmann’s email and received a follow-up email on Sept. 12, with Hofmann not yet scheduling a meeting to discuss parking improvement plans.
“[In reference to] the email that was sent out to students with a commuter parking pass, it was very condescending. Their reputation on campus is not very good right now, and if they were to collaborate with the student body and the student government, then that would show that they care about the reputation,” said Shin.
It was noted in the Aug. 30 email that there are consistently 650 commuter parking spaces available, and that students can participate in the Choose Transit Campaign to win prizes such as $10 in Paw Points when scanning their CUID when they board the bus.
“As far as the student government’s role, I am working with my committee to fix small issues,” commented Shin.
Shin continued speaking on parking by addressing the inaccuracies and delays with the parking app Clemson promotes.
“Those issues should be addressed first, and then other problems can be analyzed after that,” commented Shin.
Since the beginning of the semester, students have been rejected bus rides and have been having difficulty finding parking spaces near campus, which has been a continuous concern for some.
“The commuter parking situation is very difficult right now. I personally have had a very hard time finding parking spots in the mornings,” said Stephan Kasper, a senior industrial engineering major. “I think that something needs to be done about this problem, but the question is, where to even start? They just need more parking, but even then, it can be a very far walk, which is also frustrating.”
There has also been a reallocation of commuter parking spots in C1, and Shin did not receive an explanation as to why spaces in C1 have been blocked off.
“I will say that student transportation should be a priority, and the bare minimum should be making sure that students can safely arrive on campus on time. The fact that they can’t just isn’t right,” said senior nursing major Laurel Kirk.
A meeting with Hofmann is currently in discussion, and no other action has been taken at this time in response to students’ claims.
