A sign directing patrons to the parking meter may clear up confusion concerning the new parking on the west side of the recently renovated Mattress Factory building, according to Sandy Boyle, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration.
After six weeks of giving out warnings to individuals who use the new parking without paying, campus officials began issuing parking tickets on Feb. 23, 2004.
"Twenty tickets were issued since Monday, most of them to individauls who received multiple warnings," Boyle said, four days after ticketing began. "The stalls are numbered and there are signs saying you must pay in advance."
Individuals using the new stalls may not realize that the area is part of the original lot next to the campus library. The sidewalk, plus the row of light poles running through the old and new areas, apparently decieve patrons into thinking the new stalls are free.
"I haven't been down here in a while, and I got all confused. I thought it might be free at first, but I didn't park there," said an anonymous UWT alumni. "Is that side free?"
Others who try to find a place to pay may not see the meter.
"I avoid that part over there even when space is available," said Jennifer King, a junior. "The spots are numbered so you know you have to pay, but where? There aren't any signs."
Boyle is concerned about the lot looking cluttered if more signs are added, but realizes that the issue is valid.
"I'll mention it to my team," Boyle said. "Maybe we can add directions to the signs we already have."
The stalls became available to students and visitors on Jan. 9, 2004, following the grand opening of the Mattress Factory building.
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