Parking Woes at Belmont University
by
Belmont University has been dancing on the national stage recently. The eyes of the nation are on Belmont - a presidential debate in October - an NCCA Basketball entry during March Madness.
And while the university’s national prominence is growing, physically, campus size is restricted by surface streets.
Belmont is like a erudite sardine, packed in a tin can wrapped in thoroughfares named Wedgewood, 12th Avenue and Belmont Blvd.
This restrictive geographical boundary is what presents unique parking challenges for a growing number of students.
I visited the campus the other day and saw a lot of jostling for parking position.
There was a slight drizzle in the grey sky, but the air was warm.
Students dressed in flip flops and short skirts and sweat pants and t-shirts bustled back and forth toting back packs.
All around them, cars circled concrete parking lots, waiting to pounce, like buzzards hunting for road kill.
On campus I witness angst and frustration.
On nearby surface streets, I watch as drivers zip along Bernard Avenue hunting for a place to park. Driver after driver, face stern and eyes wide open, buzz by a row of parked cars. Many of these vehicles are all ready decorated with violations courtesy of metro parking.
Back on campus, I meet a couple of nursing students. The women tell me that parking is a huge issue. The women tell me they leave for campus 45 minutes early just to make sure they can find a place and not miss class.
“It is really bad,” one nursing student laments.
“You’re a kid,” I say jesting to the other young woman. “Deal with it.”
Her eyes roll around her sockets.
“There is a parking problem here. To spend 45 minutes looking for a spot, I don’t want to deal with that,” she says.
Moments later, in the heart of campus, I watch as a car comes whipping into a primo spot.
Kevin Buster is a senior studying music business. He pops out, big smile on his face.
“Dude, congratulations. Excellent spot.”
My enthusiastic greeting from the periphery catches the young man off guard.
“It’s kind of a miracle I found it,” he says beaming ear to ear.
University officials take parking serious.
“What we do is look at available parking and use those spaces as best we can,” Greg Pillon, Communications director tells me.
I tell Pillon there has been some scuttle butt on campus that there are 900 new freshmen this year and that is why students believe parking is almost impossible to find.
The former Channel 2 producer laughs and says that is not true.
Pillon does confirm that the campus is growing and there are more than 5,000 students this year, with about as many freshmen this year as last.
“It is no secret we have a lot of new growth. 261 new students,” he says.
Pillon says there is parking, just not all of it convenient.
He also tells me that there are a lot of parking strategies that the university has implemented that the students might not be aware of.
“What we look to do is look at available parking and use those spaces as best we can and I feel like we are doing that. As director of communication, we do have communication problems. And I take full blame for that. We are trying to do a better job at alerting students of available spaces here on campus. We have reissued spots, we do have a brand new garage over at Threllkeld. that was under utilized. I was just there and we do have 77 available spots at that location. We built a new sidewalk. We are giving students a different opportunity to park over there. we are Trying to shift things around. But I am the first to say, that the kids may not know that.”
Pillon tells me about a new garage on the fringe of campus, near Thrailkill Hall, that staff would like to encourage students to use.
“This new garage built is immediately across from the soccer field. What we did recently, there was a structure here on campus, that was removed and a sidewalk built to make access from this parking garage easier to campus.”
Pillon has a campus map open and his finger moves back and forth from the parking lot on the other side of 15th avenue to the main campus some 3 blocks to the south.
His finger makes the trip from parking area of hope to congested class area in about a second. If only it were that easy, I think to myself.
I let Pillon continue:
“We don’t make these decisions haphazardly. There is a parking team that analyzes these decisions at any given moment that is made up of students, faculty and staff. And we have made a conscious effort to get people where they need to be. Based on the residence space and where they are living.”
Pillon tells me the university has satellite parking, but does not offer shuttle busses. Not financially viable he says alluding to the short 3 or 4 block distance.
As for the public streets surrounding the campus?
“We don’t encourage anyone to be on public streets. we figure we can handle parking needs here on campus. When people park on public streets. They are issued a warning saying these are public streets and we encourage you to park on campus.”
Pillon later sends me this email as if he has not loaded me up with enough important parking facts: I appreciate his steadfast dedication to this issue and his desire to make sure that I get it right.
“One thing I had every intention to mention and forgot when you gave me the opportunity is the fact that Belmont provides free bus service and train service to all faculty students and staff. This is in addition to the Zipcars on campus that I mentioned yesterday on our phone call. This strategy is designed to provide transportatio
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Belmont’s parking problems are no worse than most other universities, particularly those in larger cities.
Here’s a suggestion, kids: rather than driving around for 45 minutes looking for a parking spot, adding to traffic congestion, polluting the air and wasting fuel, park in the garages and walk (gasp!) the three or four blocks. The exercise will do you good.
What garages are you talking about? There are two on campus. The other one is behind a dorm and very much hidden. Belmont says that one is for the residents of that dorm and overflow, whatever that means (not to mention you almost get killed trying to cross the street coming from that garage. Belmont is aware of those crosswalk problems, but has done nothing. I called them about it last year and they were supposively going to do something. The debate gets priority though, so we don’t matter)
Anyway, the two garages on campus are always full. The one they mention in the article having spots all those spots is the Thrailkill garage for residents, it isn’t going to solve Belmonts problems. Has anyone seen it, it’s not that big? I try to avoid the curb garage after 11am because it’s always full. I get to class an hour early just to make sure I have a chance of maybe making it to class on time. I have spent a minimum of a half an hour driving around Inman, which is very poorly designed garage, looking for a spot. The curb garage that the video shows is actually further away from campus than the other garage. So, to say that the students want to be right next to their classes is a lie. Bernard ave, which the article references is also at the back of campus. The curb garage is large and has more activity, that’s why everyone frequents there. The Inman garage is terrible. It is small and a hazard. There are blind turns which don’t allow one car to make a turn let alone two at once. I almost get into several accidents due to people not being able to see around the corners or trying to avoid suvs sticking out into the aisle four feet. To make that garage a two way traffic garage was a very bad decision.
Belmont didn’t mention how when meetings (for the stupid debate) are held on campus, they close down entire levels of the garages for them. Not only does that make parking even worse, it really makes the students feel like we matter.
Those new parking options they talk about in the article are the so called satellite lots. They failed to mention that they are located on 12th avenue. One is right next to where the homeless and drug dealers hang out. Is Belmont going to pay for my car when it is broken into? Are they going to protect me from getting mugged or harassed? I’m sorry that I don’t feel comfortable walking anywhere near 12th ave. Oh that article also failed to mention that Belmont has even taken away more on campus parking this year. There used to be a whole row of parking spots along the soccer field where the new dorm was built. Yeah, those are now grass. They also didn’t mention how Belmont has now taken away all the parking along the soccer field and along one side of Acklen ave to reserve for the tent setup equipment for the debate. I can wait to see what else they take away as we get closer to the debate.
Here’s a suggestion, don’t let freshman bring cars, or make them park in the satellite lots. Oh, and if you’re going to make a rule that people who live in the first through forth floors of Kennedy hall must park in thraikill
We’re paying to go here, we’re paying to be late to class, we’re paying for all the fuel our cars burn off driving around looking for a spot, is Belmont getting paid for this debate? Will we see any of the benefits? Probably not.
I hit tab before I was done and it published my incomplete comment. Here’s what the rest was supposed to say.
Oh, and if you’re going to make a rule that people who live in the first through forth floors of Kennedy hall must park in thraikill why don’t you enforce it? I’ve spoken to some freshman who don’t even know where that is. The curb garage is filled by the freshmen just parking there for weeks, never moving. Also, the inman garage is supposed to be for commuters only. I have seen several resident stickers in there. Why aren’t they ticketed? Usually Belmont’s on a parking violation with those pricey fifty dollar tickets in no time. Maybe freshmen shouldn’t be allowed to have cars? It is pretty normal for schools to do that. Or if Belmont insists on letting them have their cars, they how about giving them their own garage somewhere far away.
We’re paying to go here, we’re paying to be late to class, we’re paying for all the fuel our cars burn off driving around looking for a spot, is Belmont getting paid for this debate? Will we see any of the benefits? Probably not.
These students need to grow up and use the 2 feet God gave them. There is almost always parking around campus, you just have to find it. Generally the Thrailkill garage has dozens spaces available at any given time and the Curb garage is not “always full” as some would like people to believe. Yes there are times when it is but the majority of the time it is not full. People just have to realize that they are not going to be able to park right by where their classes are, they may have to WALK! Not to mention maybe getting to campus 30 minutes or better before class in stead of 5 minutes before.
Every university of any decent size has parking issues. There are an unknown amount of visitors to campus on any given day which take up spaces as well.
The parking at Belmont is there, likely over in the Thrailkill garage and most days the Curb garage. I see it every day and sure it can be a hassle, but the main thing I see is everyone wanting to park right at the building they need to go to, well that is just not a reality, try that at UT Knoxville or similar univeristy…not going to happen. So why would Belmont be any different? Sure things could be better but to say there is not enough parking is simply not true, get some exercise kids, it’s good for you!
It’s called a bicycle and a bus. Use them..
Kendel, Thank you! As a 5th year student, I am outraged at the lack of parking. When I was a freshman, parking was not as bad an issue. +2,000 students later, 2 new dorms, new school of nursing, and ONE new garage, the parking is simply not enough. Kendel is correct, commuter students were told that Thrailkill is for residents only. Commuter students have two garages, the gravel parking lot (which is now closed for the debate), and the streets. However, residents (when the whether is bad or too lazy to walk) often park in these zones. I understand that Belmont is working hard to solve these issues, but I have seen little results in the past 5 years.
I am more furious about the Debate stealing my money than anything… It is great for the school, but what about the students who aren’t going home for fall break? They are closing the food services, recreational activities, and pretty much chaining these students to their desk and letting them get searched for fall break. Not cool.
As a student who lives on campus in the Hillside apartments, I’ll have everyone know that not everyone tries to drive to class. Many of us ride bikes and walk to classes every day. The problem is, because of this debate, many pathways for even walking as so many of you insist on us doing are blocked because of events so Belmont can get more TV time. Between CMT’s and the debate, plus meetings and other events students can’t park on campus.
The issue is not mainly that kids are trying to drive to class. We are growing and there are no restrictions on who can have cars. Belmont did not mention that they are removing parking areas to build more dorms to house more students so we can become a bigger and better school. They are not, however, restricting parking. They know they give out over 1,000 parking passes more than there are spaces and wonder why they have to write so many tickets.
I never drive my car. Gas is too expensive and there’s ZERO parking on campus, so my little car stays put. I ride my bike to class every day, so I’m not doing harm to the environment trying to find a place, but the problem is for commuters and residents who live in halls close to the center of campus. We have groceries to carry in and shouldn’t have to walk back and fourth three to four blocks to get them all in. People make comments about state schools not having parking either, however those schools have shuttles and they have parking close to residence halls that are reserved for those students, but Belmont can’t even grant most of the students that. Three blocks is a long way to walk if you have a night class or are coming home late from a function and you have to park in the Thrailkill garage and then walk to Kennedy or worse, Heron. Faculty may see that there are problems, but they can’t begin to understand having to carry things for three blocks just so you can feel at home in your own room here at Belmont.
Like I said, I’m a third year student at Belmont and luckily live in Hillside, so parking isn’t an issue (mainly because of my bike). However, when you work on campus until midnight because you have to have money for groceries, you like to have your car near the building. Yes, Belmont Security offers escorts, but they are so over booked with all of their responsibilities it can be half an hour before they show up.
So cut us some slack for wanting Belmont to quit removing parking lots for the purpose of creating dorms. If we want to grow, current students need to be happy, and I know the parking situation makes me want to tell people not to waste their money.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Belmont and think it’s the best place to further your education, but you can’t do that because you missed class because you were trying to find a parking spot because you live off campus.
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