Effective Oct. 1, the Tranquada parking lot (TSSC) between the Lincoln-Edmunds buildings and Health Services Center, where six Zipcars are currently located, will be reserved solely for Pomona student parking through May 2010.According to ASPC Vice President for Finance Kelly Schwartz PO ’10, this move was motivated by a need for more student parking spaces. Due to construction, the parking lot behind Lawry remains closed, leaving North Campus residents with limited parking options.“Between 200 and 220 parking spaces [for students were] torn apart because of the construction,” said Schwartz.Schwartz added that the “one-hour parking zones” designated by the Claremont University Consortium were an added restriction on parking. These zones include the street between Walker Wall and the Honnold/Mudd Library, and have compounded the limitations felt by students.Schwartz began working on this issue in spring 2009, while serving as junior class president. She cooperated with then-Senior Class President Julie Tate and the Senate Parking Committee.Along with the committee, Schwartz approached Dean of Students Miriam Feldblum about allowing students to use the Tranquada parking lot for a year.“She was really cooperative,” said Schwartz, who said Feldblum had contacted Bob Robinson, Director of Facilities and Campus Services, about their requests.Robinson agreed to allow students to use the lot, but he feels the move was made to “provide a means of parking in closer proximity to North Campus” and to create “more convenient parking,” rather than to free up spaces for more students.“It was logical,” Robinson said. “[Staff will] still have available parking in another lot [next to the TSSC] and in the ITS underground parking lot.”He felt that making parking more convenient for students would be beneficial, while still accommodating staff who will also have some reserved spaces in the Tranquada parking lot.Schwartz said it will, at least, “alleviate some of the frustration” for students who have trouble finding a place to park.
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