Next semester, Raider Ride, the shuttle service that runs between Lot 20 and campus, will not be operational. According to Kathy Warden, manager of the Customer Care Center and Small Projects, Raider Ride is not permanently shutting down; spring semester is merely a trial-run. A final decision will not be made until late summer, once enrollment numbers and parking data from spring semester are available.
“At least at this point, we are not anticipating it to be permanent,” explained Warden. “It’s a temporary thing.”
Students who bought Lot 20 parking passes for the 2018-2019 school year will be able to park in lots 4 and 4a throughout the spring semester at no additional cost – as long as their parking permits are displayed.
According to Warden, Lot 20 will be closed during the spring semester unless there is an event at the Nutter Center.
Additionally, around 200 parking spots in various lots around campus will be converted from faculty spots to student spots. Lot 14’s faculty spots were all switched to student spots in July. Around 40 spaces were also switched from faculty to student spots in Lot 10, according to Warden.
The lots have been monitored throughout the fall semester and the number of vacant faculty and student spots in each lot have been recorded. Each lot was visited on several days of the week at several different times between 9 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.
According to Warden, 331 students currently have passes for Lot 20. There are 378 parking spots in Lot 4a, which are for students only; there are no faculty spots in Lot 4a. On Thursday, Nov. 8 at 1:20 p.m., 28 of the 378 parking spots were being used, which was the highest recorded use of the lot in November.
“That lot [Lot 4] is pretty much always empty,” said Warden. “I think the maximum number at the beginning of the school year that we see parked there after the first couple weeks of school is maybe 12.”
According to Resolution 19-7, passed by Student Government Association, eliminating Raider Ride would save the university approximately $300,000 per year. It also states that Raider Ride should still be available in December, January and February from university housing to Millett Hall, which Warden confirmed.
“We’re looking at it as a benefit all the way around,” noted Warden. “We’re here for you guys [students]. None of us would be here if it wasn’t for you.”
