Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication

Gaylord News

Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication

Gaylord News

Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication

Gaylord News

OU parking puts students in danger

Those+who+are+not+able+to+find+parking+in+the+designated+freshmen+lots+are+able+to+park+at+the+north+side+of+Lloyd+Noble+Center+for+free.
Those who are not able to find parking in the designated freshmen lots are able to park at the north side of Lloyd Noble Center for free.
Students search for empty spaces in a parking lot near the campus dorms on March 3 in Norman. Those who are not able to find parking in the designated freshmen lots are able to park at the north side of Lloyd Noble Center for free.

Freshmen, who can’t find parking near their dorms, are being left stranded by the University of Oklahoma transportation system that shuts down at 11:30 p.m.

Students who miss the last bus are forced to walk back to the dorms from the north side of the Lloyd Noble Center, where students are permitted to park for free.

“It’s absolutely frustrating. For a campus with so much money and so many resources, you would think the least they could do would be offer to take me home when I need it, especially since OU is the one not providing us with enough parking,” said Kaitlynne Chaffin, a freshman who lives in Walker Tower.

Several times Chaffin said she has been forced to make the mile-long walk when she missed the last bus or resorted to calling an Uber driver to pick her up rather than walking along Asp Avenue.

According to Kristapher Glenn, the director of OU Parking and Transportation, there are roughly 1,900 parking spots surrounding the dorms.

In the event that students are stranded at Lloyd Noble Center they should call “SafeRide” Glenn said. However, “SafeRide” only operates three nights a week, shuts down at 3 a.m. and limits students to two trips per week.

In order to solve the problem, OU Parking and Services say the new Cross parking garage will open August 2018 and will contain two levels dedicated to freshmen parking.

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