The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 02, 1975, Page Page 4, Image 4
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B DLNCAN MANSFIELD
Gamecock Staff Writer
USC is adequately handling its campus parking
situation, according to George A. Key, director of
Public Safety, Security and Communications.
Campus security officials conducted surveys of
the USC parking situation and studied parking
plans of other universities. Their findings
revealed that a two-to-one ration of total studentnt
decals to parking spaces satisfactorily met USC
parking requirements,Key said.
The University provides more parking spaces in
relation to the 2,877 decals issued to faculty and
staff, than is the case with student parking.
"People want to park within two blocks of their
destination,"Key said in refrence to the much
debated campus parking problem. Key observed
that many students who have parking decals for
University lots will use meter parking spaces to
get closer to classrooms.
Campus security statistics show 6,697 parking
spaces available on campus. This figure com
pares to 6,238 spaces in use last year. Campus
parking consists of 1,791 spaces for faculty and
staff, 3,483 surface student spaces, 515 campus
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meter spaces and 908 spaces in the Blossom Street
garage. An additional 500 An additional 500
spaces will be available on Jan. 1 when half of the
Pendleton Street garage is opened.
There are also 1,700 city parking spaces within a d
istance of foru to five blocks surrounding the
campus. These spaces include street parking,
meters and parking lots.
This year the University sold 6,800 student
parking decals. Campus security figures show
that 2,262 decals belong to students living campus.
Assuming these vehicles are moved from the
student lots infrequently, only 2,129 spaces can be
guarranteed to the be available for the 4,538
commuting students who own parking decals.
While it is common knowledge among students
that they cannot park in faculty-reserved parking
areas between 8 a.m. and 5p.m., the reverse istrue
for the faculty. One University dean received a
ticket when he parked in a student lot recently,
Key said.
When many parking tickets are issued, Key
feels it is a sign "the parking control is not
working properly." From July -1 Dec. 31, 1974,
there were $61,483 collected in campus parking
fines. A total of $58,885 was collected from bet
ween Jan. and June 30, 1975. Money received from
parking tickets is placed into a bonded account by
security officials to be used for general im
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provemnts of all parking facilities,Key said.
"Our goal is to let no person (faculty, staff or
student) accumulate more than $25 in parking
fines," Key said. One student collected $300 in
parking fines a few years ago, Key recalled.
In an effort to decrease the number parking
violations, campus security has begun to tow in
cars that have been fined more than $25 in cases
dwhere the owner has failed to answer two
summons. To get his car back , the guilty
owner must pay his parking fine and a $15 towing
fee...
"Towing should have a very telling effect" on
parking violations, Key said. "Everybody says
they (the meter patrol) are doing a terrific job,"
he said sarcastically. "But we (Campus Security)
could write five-times as many tickets, if we
wanted to," Key said.
USC does not receive money from the State for
parking. Because of rising construction costs,
Key expects the parking fees at the new Pendleton
Street garage to eventually exceed the $35 per
semester fee at the Blossom Street garage.. Key
said the Blossom Street garage cost $1,600 per
parking space, but the Pendleton Street garage
- will cost $2,600 for each space.
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