The long-awaited parking garage, with its 1,150 new spaces, is fully operational this semester. Aside from a few glitches in the garage’s layout and traffic signs, faculty, staff and students alike are responding with relief at a guaranteed parking spot on Bedford Street. The problems range from an awkward turn that has many cars going over a curb, to poorly placed signs, and long lines extending into Bedford street in the morning, when many people enter the garage at the same time.
“It was hard finding my way to the exit the first time,” said a female psychology student who did not wish to be identified.
Dominica Cipallone director of International Exchange agreed: “There’s a lot of [people] going the wrong way because the signs are too high” and the print is too small, she said.
John Rasmussen building construction engineer with Facilities Management acknowledged these problems, and said that they will be corrected as soon as possible. “We may change the flow of traffic so that first turn isn’t so tight, or we may chop the curb back,” he said. He added that the inadequate signs will be replaced with signs in slightly different places, and with larger print.
The garage will be open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays and closed on the weekends. Guests will be allowed to leave their cars in the garage overnight and over the weekend. Saindon said that he does not know if patrons will have emergency access to their cars during the garage’s off-hours. “We’re still working that all out,” he said. When the garage is closed, it is sealed off by roll-down doors at the entrance and exit and tall fences around the first floor. There will be no one manning the garage at these hours.
Despite these issues, use of the garage continues apace.
Chris Falhaber, a senior in computer science, is also a systems administrator at USM’s University Computing Technology. As a staff member, he chose to opt out of the fee that would have allowed him to park in the garage. “I figured I’d save myself the $100,” he said. “I’m hoping the students will catch on and free up the surface lots.”
So far, that has not appeared to have happened. Students using the garage reported trying to use the surface lots first and finding them already at capacity before trying the garage.
“I tried the surface lots first, and they were full,” said a female student who wished to remain anonymous.
“I think people fill [the surface lots] up in the morning,” said Jeremy Perron, a senior political science student.
There are also long lines in the morning, when demand to enter the lot is high. Those lines are likely to shrink as students adjust to the new situation and learn how to get into the garage.
“It’s a long line,” said Adam Russel, a junior political science student, who lives on-campus in Gorham. “Like, 15 to 20 minutes.” He also confirmed that the surface lots fill up in the morning and seem to stay full all day.
The garage has also caused more pedestrian traffic on Bedford street, an issue Rasmussen says will be eliminated next year with the addition of the skybridge. It will provide direct on-foot access from the garage’s second level to the plaza between Masterton and Luther-Bonney halls.
Security is always an issue with parking garages, which provide ample hiding places for potential attackers and limited avenues for escape. USM’s new parking garage has four emergency telephones on each level (located in the corners), and the interior and stairwells are well-lit.
“I don’t like parking garages because they’re always dark. This one is big, airy and well lit,” said Cipallone. “The stairwells also have glass sides, which is a wonderful idea. I feel very safe in there.”
USM Police Chief Ronald Saindon says that USM Police will be patrolling the inside of the garage. Rasmussen, , says parking garage maintinence staff will also regularly check the garage – not specifically for security, but to make sure the lanes and parking spaces aren’t blocked by careless drivers.
John Bronson can be contacted at [email protected]