The Shorthorn - Lot 38 now only for faculty, staff vehicles

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Lot 38 now only for faculty, staff vehicles

Written by Emily Toman

Tuesday, 08 July 2008 07:29 PM

Engineering sophomore Nathan Wethington looks at his first parking ticket as a new university student Monday at Lot 38 near the University Center. A sign near Lot 38 reading “This Lot Will Become Faculty/Staff Only On July 7, 2008,” caused confusion to some students who received tickets parked there Tuesday July 8. Some feel the sign should have been better worded. The Shorthorn: Rasy Ran

The sign on Lot 38 near the University Center reads “This Lot Will Become Faculty/Staff Only On July 7, 2008,” so microbiology senior Parinati Kharel parked there July 8 instead.

She returned from class to find a $20 ticket underneath her windshield wiper.

“It said ‘only on July 7’,” she said.

Assistant police chief Rick Gomez said the sign’s wording should change to avoid confusion but doesn’t see how students would misinterpret it.

“The signs are up,” he said. “They’ve been up. I would assume, if I were a student, that it was just for faculty.”

Lot 38 changed to accommodate faculty and staff members diverted from Lot 13 near Nedderman Hall while construction begins on the Engineering Research Complex.

Icharel usually parks in the lot since she has classes nearby. She even discussed it Tuesday with biochemistry senior Bhawana Uprety before leaving her car there.

Uprety said the sign would have been clearer if it didn’t specify a date and simply read “Faculty and Staff Only.”

“That would definitely work,” she said. “We would have never bothered coming over here.”

Kharel plans to contest the ticket at the Parking Office, where only a few students have appealed citations since Monday, said Parking Office supervisor Debra Ramsey.

“It’s been very minimal so far,” she said. “It’s summer, so it’s not as busy.”

Ramsey has dealt with three students herself who all had the same reason for parking in Lot 38 — they didn’t know the decal had changed.

Students can appeal their citations by filling out a form at the Parking Office and writing a description of why they shouldn’t have to pay the ticket. A committee of faculty, staff and Student Governance and Organizations members decides whether or not to waive it, she said.

“They ask the questions, and they make the decisions,” she said.

Kharel said, for now, she’ll walk to class in the midday heat from a farther lot.

“Maybe we have to find a new place,” she said. “We’ll have to park all the way over by Pickard Hall.”

Information

Alternative parking lots nearby:
- Lot 39 next to the UTA Bookstore
- Lot 40 across the street from the bookstore
- Lot 36 north of Nedderman Hall
- Lot 43 across the street from Arlington Hall

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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 24 September 2008 03:55 PM )

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