commuter students after Thanksgiving
Campus committee reaches consensus to address student concerns
KINGSTON, R.I. — November 7, 2001 — The URI Parking and Transportation Coordinating Team announces that after Thanksgiving, the 50-space White Hall parking lot will be for the exclusive use of commuter students.
The move is being made in conjunction with the upcoming reopening of the parking lots off Farmhouse Road behind Roosevelt Hall and the Multicultural Center, which will put 70 spaces back in service for faculty and staff. The reopening of those lots will also occur after Thanksgiving.
The White Hall lot, which had been a faculty and staff lot, will remain a commuter student lot through May 2002. Faculty and staff members who have been using the White Hall lot have been asked to park in the Chafee lot or any other available faculty/staff lot.
Robert Drapeau, director of campus police and security, will post an officer at Chafee to direct students to White Hall, so that the Chafee lot will remain open to faculty and staff only. Signs will also be posted at the White Hall lot to notify drivers of its status as a commuter lot only.
The parking team, which represents all facets of the campus community, reached consensus about the White Hall parking lot change during a meeting last week. The change is being made to address commuter students’ concerns regarding a shortage of commuter student parking spaces.
The parking team is meeting each week on Thursday to address, on a continuing basis, short-term and long-term solutions to the parking and traffic issues on the Kingston Campus.
“Since we are adding 70 spaces behind Roosevelt and the Multicultural Center for faculty and staff, there shouldn’t be a negative impact,” said Kathleen Mallon, chair of the team and director of strategic planning and institutional development.
“We know there is a shortage of commuter student parking, and we are trying to address those concerns, without negatively impacting faculty and staff,” Mallon said.
Student Senate President Michael Jordan said the opening of the White Hall lot to students is a move in the right direction.
” I know students are looking forward to having those 50 extra spots to park in on a daily basis,” Jordan said. “We are hoping that those extra spots will relieve some of the current tensions, while the team works on a more permanent solution to our campus parking woes. Just the fact that this team has been put together and we have solid representation on the team are positive signs for students that are angry about our current parking situation.”
For Information:Kathleen Mallon 401-874-4461, Dave Lavallee 401-874-2116