Parking has been one of the most common complaints at GCSU for decades. Parking has been the source of many surveys and council talks, but while most students agree that parking is a problem people have varying opinions on how to handle it.
The latest edition to the parking debate took place on YikYak, an anonymous college-centered app where you can make posts. An image saying “Can we have enough parking spots? Best I can do is camels on front campus” went viral on the GCSU YikYak board, with 1.3k likes.
The school has steadily expanded for decades, but many feel that parking has not expanded at the same rate. With only a couple of lots designated for student parking and two-hour street spots, students have the hardest time finding parking.
Students have complained that even though they work for GCSU, they are not allowed into faculty parking and are forced to park in the student and commuter lots.
“Students that are working for the school should get faculty parking,” said Sarah Jones, a sophomore majoring in nursing.
Jones detailed that she has to find parking an hour before she is required to be on campus.
Despite having a designated teacher and faculty lot, even teachers are not free from parking issues, with some teachers saying it can take them an hour to find parking during busy hours.
Jack Bunson, a senior management major, expressed his understanding of both sides.
“The school is growing at an alarming rate, it’s hard to keep up with,” Bunson said.
With the college growing every year, and how small Milledgeville is, Bunson describes the situation as a double-edged sword. Bunson elaborated that he thinks most schools have this issue, and that he thinks it is an overarching transportation issue not just a parking issue.
“There’s a lot more students now, and not any more parking. If anything, there’s even less parking,” said Talia Dobkin, a sophomore chemistry major.
Dobkin feels that the parking situation is unfair as students may be unable to find parking and be forced to illegally park or park over the two hour limit, leading to tickets.
Jones also felt that fines were too high or an unfair burden on students considering the parking crisis.
“Sometimes it’s not a choice, it’s not about convenience,” Dobkin said.
Over time, while GCSU has continued to build and renovate more buildings, parking has remained static on the main campus. The Integrated Science Complex built in 2021, the recent construction of the new music hall, and the preservation of once public parking spots located by Herty Hall, now for the police use only, have contributed to the decrease of parking opportunities for students and the local Milledgeville public.
While students felt the Integrated Science Complex was needed and worth it, many still felt GCSU could have addressed both issues at the same time. Homecoming week brought up similar feelings with students enjoying the camels, but still feeling like parking is still a problem that needs to be addressed.
There have been some talks of creating another designated student parking space with a shuttle route to get to main campus, which students viewed universally favorably. This is to be one of the easiest ways to improve parking.
There have also been rumors of possible extensions to the two-hour parking limit in city parking spots on roads, with possibly the parking being metered. Some felt that this helped fundraise, but others felt it only worsened the issue with unfair fines on students who already may struggle to find parking and pay for college.
Dobkins was uncertain if the two hour parking limit should be increased, as it could lead to spots being hogged and only making it even harder to find parking on time.
Some also would be fine with metered or paid parking, but only if the money went directly towards funding a new parking lot.
Diana Cazacu, a junior art and philosophy double major, raised the point that part of the problem may be worsened by students themselves, citing that many students park in commuter spots when they are not commuters. They said that they wished parking fines were more harsh on students who are not commuters.
Students who live in dorms permanently taking up parking spots can lead to increased parking issues, but with decreased shuttle shopping shuttles and shuttles not running late at night, students may not feel they have any other choice but to keep their car nearby.
Not all students struggle with parking as many undergraduate students do not drive, and some who do have stated they have never struggled to find parking. Parking is heavily influenced by weather and time, so students looking for parking in the afternoon are significantly more likely to struggle than those with 8 a.m. classes.
For those who struggle with parking, West Campus often has more parking available, though there is a longer walk and a 15-minute shuttle ride to get to main campus. Planning to have 8 a.m. or 4 p.m. classes can also help deal with parking congestion.