UTM recently removed 12 parallel student parking spaces that were located on Hurt Street between the Humanities parking lot and Cooper Hall.
This is not the first parking alteration to the street. In 2012 the university removed 12 spaces in the Clement circle for spacial and safety reasons. The removal plan for the 12 parallel spaces has been an ongoing discussion for the past three years and was finally approved this year by the Chancellor, the Department of Public Safety and the Student Government Association.
The parallel spaces were removed because of several safety hazards.
“This will minimize the danger of a student being hit by a vehicle. Many students walk in between cars that are parked in those spaces as they walk back to their dorms from class,” said Ray Coleman,assistant director of Public Safety. “They are also being removed because emergency response vehicles, such as fire trucks, must have room to maneuver effectively on the UTM campus.”
Coleman also says there are 3615 available parking spaces on the UTM campus, not including the Recreation Center parking lot and the gravel lot, which is located behind the football stadium. A car count will be conducted in the fall to assess any congested parking situations.
There are no plans to replace the parking spaces with others in another location during the upcoming year. Some students are concerned about this because of parking problems prior to these spaces being removed.
“I understand if it’s a safety precaution, but there already isn’t enough student parking, commuter or non-commuter,” said Chrystal Allen, a junior Biology major.
