Feature photo by Hannah Carley
Story by Hannah Carley
To combat students struggling with parking tickets and regulations at the beginning of the semester, the Student Government Association and Parking Services offer resources and information.
Students can utilize the SGA Court of Traffic Appeals to appeal citations issued wrongly, in a medical emergency or when issued a “No Campus Permit” violation when parked in the appropriate decal lot, according to the SGA’s website.
“The first thing I recommend any student do [is] talk to the Student Government Association,” Director of Parking Services Tracy Read said. “They will point you in the right direction… to help you resolve your problem. They will dig in and see if it truly is a problem that is resolvable.”
Students can pay tickets through three routes: paying online through their Pipeline account, the Bursar’s office or the Parking Services building. To file an appeal, students can either access the MT Parking Services online appeals webpage or the Court of Traffic Appeals page to access the MTSU parking portal.
“I think there is mutual responsibility on both ends. As the department and as the student parking,” Read said. “There’s always room for improvement on the department side, but I think there’s also room for improvement on [the] student side, too. When we give you a map, and we try to get the mobile app out there, you know, so people know where to park.”
Student experiences came from many commuter students who experienced a shock from the recent parking lot color changes. Many students changed their daily routines to compensate for the new travel time.
Student Government Association Attorney General Jameson Spray oversees parking responsibilities within SGA, such as the Parking Appeals Court and questions over parking regulations. His office received plenty of feedback regarding the four lot changes.
“I got a lot of complaints about it, which is- it’s fair…The first couple weeks has been a big issue, but it will definitely fade once people realize the changes and acclimate to [them],” Spray said. “The certain spaces we have is what we have.”
The changes to Bell Lot and the loss of inner-campus commuter spots were not easy for senior commuter students Aliyah Shuman and Lincoln Clark.
“[It] was a blow to us all, so that was like one of the closer parking lots,” Shuman said. “So why don’t they have enough parking spaces for the students that they have?”
Like many students, Clark travels to class on foot, walking from the parking lot to inner-campus. The parking changes lengthen the walking distance to about half of campus.
“When we got to walk, you know, quarter, half a mile, maybe even more into class, especially during the beginning of the fall semester where it’s blazing hot outside,” Clark said. “I’d rather not show up to my class needing a new shirt.”
Many upperclassmen were more adverse to the parking changes than the other students. However, a few underclassmen, like sophomore Blaire Myers-Wilson, were not happy that the construction on campus affected the parking layout.
“Whenever there’s a construction zone and I park in a spot that I’ve parked in for years regularly, then it becomes a problem… and I get a fine for it,” Myers-Wilson said.
Spray said he listens to student concerns and questions daily as one portion of his job as Attorney General. He receives mainly questions about traffic appeals, which is the main focus of his position.
The SGA Attorney General advised commuter students to park in the outer lots on campus, such as the Rutherford, Softball, Livestock, and the new Main Street lots.
“You’re going to have to just go a little further out, especially during the day,” Spray said. “Commuter students I always suggest parking at some of the further lots and taking the shuttle in. It’s the best way. Just being early is always going to save you.”
Read opened multiple lines of communication with students to improve the quality of services and conversation around parking.
Last year, Parking and Transportation Services issued 19,214 citations, but they billed 78% to either a student or employee. Visitor citations make up the remaining citations, primarily being written during football season. For the past five years, the number of citations remained less than one citation a student per year, Read said.
“I think students think we write thousands upon thousands of tickets a day and we don’t,” Read said. “But I think the relationship between our department and the student body could be so much better.”
Four years ago, Read started informing students through announcement emails about lot closures for events, and she said it opened a line of communication with the student body.
“Over the years that I’ve done that, I’ve gotten more back…Students will reply to that with a question that doesn’t even have anything to do with the notices that I’m giving,” Read said.
Read sent students and faculty an announcement email that described the changes this year to the parking lots. Spray said student allegations that Read’s email was sent late were false and unfounded.
Hannah Carley is a reporter for MTSU Sidelines.
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