Historically during the first few weeks of the semester parking has been an issue. Students will find themselves waiting to enter and exit the garage as the large influx of students arrive.
This fall semester brings new automated machines to the parking garage. The machines installed the week before fall semester, have caused frustration for students as they make their way to and from the garage.
“I don’t like it at all,” Brandon Werner, returning student, said in response to the new automated machines.
Werner said that he parks on the roof of the garage and it has taken him over ten minutes to exit the garage this semester.
“I think it’s a lot slower honestly, the timing on it, its not as quick as the people were, I liked it with the people more…” He said. “I don’t know why they changed it.”
Werner said that even though he doesn’t know the exact reason, he feels that it’s all about saving money by using machines instead of attendants.
The machines replaced the attendant booths at each of the exit lanes. The new devices are much smaller than the booths they replaced.
“It feels a little bit too far away, before it was closer but now you actually have to reach out and put it in instead of sliding it,” Said, Dustin Oborne, returning Sinclair student, in response to the new machines.
“The only part that I find annoying is waiting for it to go up [entrance gate] when you’re pulling in to go into the garage. That minute, minute and a half,” Katie Tuvell, who rides with Oborne, said.
Oborne said the process of exiting the garage is slower than he remembered it being before the change.
“I want to see how much [money] I have… its weird sometimes when you put it [Tartan card] in you have to try a few times,” Said Hazel Princesa Love, a returning Sinclair student.
Paul Murphy, Director of business services hopes that the new machines will cut down the time it takes to exit the garage.
“ I know as people leave their class blocks many people leave at the same time, “Murphy said.
“With that said I know with the new equipment things are speeding up as people get use to it and hopefully that will expedite it.”
He said one of the reasons for the switch was to cut wait times down with the removal of cash due to the slowness of that type of transaction.
Murphy said that Tuesday and Thursday are the highest volume days with about 5,800 vehicles using the garage each day.
There are a number of students that feel that the system works well. Harley Billhimer, a new student said he has not had too much of an issue with the system.
“I like the card system… it’s easy. One time it took probably four times but other than that’s it’s been pretty good, “ Billhimer said.
He said he tries to avoid the high volume times and come to school early although when he leaves school there are a lot of cars leaving the garage and its really hectic.
Werner, like Love and Billhimer, said he has had issues swiping his card in the machine having to repeat the process multiple times.
“I wish the people were back but what can I do about it honestly,” Werner said.