Prior to mid-October, it seemed as though student discontent with University-regulated parking did not extend beyond Highway 40. But now it appears that the Health Sciences Center is experiencing a sample of the parking woes that are a part of everyday life on the Frost Campus.
Shortly before fall break, the curbs on the Health Sciences Center that are closest to the East and West Hickory garages were painted yellow, prohibiting further parking there. These parking spots were primarily used by Saint Louis University students attending classes and lab sessions on the Health Sciences Center.
The only other options left for students who drive to the campus are to purchase a parking permit for the East and West Hickory garages from Parking and Card Services, park at meters randomly scattered along Grand Avenue and connecting side streets, or park farther away from the medical campus.
Ann Benson, the manager of Parking and Card Services, explained that the decision to paint the curbs stemmed from the dangers that parking along the curbs presented to the SLU community.
“The changes to the parking options on the Health Sciences Center were generated from safety concerns expressed by the community. [Parking and Card Services had] received numerous e-mails and phone calls regarding the hazards of having cars parked at the curbs,” Benson said.
“Several accidents have occurred at the entrances of the East and West Hickory garages as a result of limited vision due to cars parked along the curbs,” Benson continued.
Many students who travel to the HSC on a daily basis feel otherwise about the adaptations made to the parking options available on the campus. The majority of students who drive to the campus, such as Erin Burjes, a senior in the nursing program, have a parking permit for the East and West Hickory garages.
“While it personally does not affect me because I have a parking permit, I know several people who are quite upset over it. They don’t have a parking permit because they don’t have the money, so those spots were really valuable to them. Without those spots, they have to park farther away from the classrooms. It’s now more inconvenient and unsafe for them,” Burjes continued.
Despite the frustration and annoyance expressed by students who park on the Health Sciences Center, Benson said that the Parking and Card Services has not received any complaints.
“The one thing I’m worried about is safety for the students,” said Amy Motz, a senior in SLU’s physical therapy program. Motz is one of the students who relied on those parking spots along the curbs closet to the Health Sciences Center.
According to Motz, since the curbs had been painted, she and other students have had to park farther away from their classrooms, resulting in a longer walk back to their cars, often times after it is dark outside.
