Alexis Smith can’t drive to campus.
Instead, the animal sciences freshman has to drive her Honda Fit from her scholarship house on Southwest ninth Street to the parking lot at Southwest Recreation Center. From there, she has to take the bus to her classes.
"It’s just not effective," the 18-year-old said.
Smith is just one student struggling to find parking on campus, especially after UF had to move three parking lots this Fall due to new buildings being constructed. The construction of the new chemistry building on a parking lot removed about 108 spaces, and the parking lot across from Dauer Hall was also taken due to construction, according to Scott Fox, the director of UF’s Transportation and Parking Services.
But as a result, Fox said, spaces, including carpool and disability spaces, have moved and a new parking garage is in the works.
Transportation and Parking Services also found that not all of the carpool spaces were being used, he said.
"On any given day, there were a lot of empty spaces," he said.
Yet, with the moving of carpool and disabled spaces, the lack of parking became an issue for UF faculty and students alike.
Mark Sterling, an IT specialist at UF, said he tried to join the carpool program last May but was told he would have to check back in June to see if there would be room for him to join the program.
The carpool program used to be free and offer faculty closer spots as an incentive to join the program, Sterling said. Now, the decals cost $150 per person per year.
Fox said UF is not getting rid of the carpool program. He said a new policy makes carpool spaces available to other decal holders after 9:30 a.m.
"I could see why those people think they’re not being let in," he said.
There are currently about 260 carpool groups, Fox said.
Fox said his department is looking to expand parking by converting the McCarty Parking Lot into a garage. The location was approved to be converted into a parking garage and Parking and Transportation Services is now trying to secure funding for the project.
The problem is that UF puts buildings on parking lots, Fox said.
"It’s tricky," he said. "It’s tricky."
Contact Caitlin Ostroff at costroff@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @ceostroff
