USM students now have one more parking option on the Portland campus now that the P-3 lot behind the Wishcamper Center, formerly only open to faculty and staff, was opened up to students last week. Unfortunately, the change might not last.
Craig Hutchinson, chief student affairs officer, said the lot was opened in response to students wanting more parking for the library, but it will not fix the overall problem of having difficulty parking between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in Portland.
Hutchinson said the opening of the lot will give students more parking options during the day.
However after “an amazing amount of complaints from faculty and staff,” Hutchinson said USM will likely consider he decision to open the lot to students and may only open it to students in the afternoon when more people go to the library,
The university sent text alerts on two days last week informing commuters that the parking garage in Portland was nearing capacity.
Hutchinson said the problem of finding parking is more of a scheduling issue than a issue with parking availability. “The only way we’re going to improve the situation is to adjust the schedule or build more parking,” said Hutchinson, who said neither are being considered.
Hutchinson did point out that the parking lot on 15 Baxter Blvd., across Forrest Avenue, is also available for students
This is awful. A commuter school with no parking…gotta love it!