As tow trucks invade the campus and parking tickets run rampant, drivers and non-drivers alike some drivers have concluded that FAMU needs more parking.
“It’s ridiculous,” said Deven Connor, 20, a marketing student from Miami. “Everyday, cars circle the parking garage and intramural field for available parking spaces. It is time consuming and a hazard.”
Sonja Charleston, 20, a psychology student said after rushing from her home in Quincy to get to class, it’s discouraging to find that there’s nowhere to park.
Everyday, students across campus face the fear of finding parking tickets on their cars or, even worse, not finding their cars at all because they have been towed.
Kaleena Wiley, 20, a sophomore biology student from Los Angeles has had her share of parking woes. With three parking tickets under her belt and memories of her car being towed, Wiley is all for additional parking.
“It’s [parking] inadequate for the amount of students here at FAMU and the amount of parking spaces available,” Wiley said. Even though freshmen are not allowed to have cars, she said, there are still limited spaces.
Jonathan Quarles, 20, business administration and political science student from Flint, Mich. said even though there “still is need for improvement,” the parking problem has improved.
“The situation is getting a little better,” Quarles said, referring to the temporary parking lots on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Kendell Jones, the director of the Physical Plant, also said the parking situation is improving. “Indeed the situation is getting better . . .there will be 171 (more) parking spaces available.”
Kendell said these spaces are being built along with the new buildings that will soon be popping up across campus. Construction for a recreation center will begin in March on the southeast corner of Wahnish Way and Osceola Street. Construction for a multi-cultural center on the southwest corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. and Osceola Street is scheduled to begin in 2004.
LaTrecha Scott can be reached at Latrecha_s@yahoo.com