It's called a parking permit, but it's really a hunting license.
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Construction work at Augusta State University continues to reduce parking options, leaving students with no choice but to go hunting for a space every morning.
"You have to get here an hour early," junior Regina Thomas said. "I don't see the point of getting a decal if I can't park on campus."
During the first day of classes Monday, sophomore Denton Adkinson spent much of his time circling the same gravel lot, waiting for someone to leave.
"I actually parked on a path designed for golf carts," he said. "It's bad everywhere."
University officials are doing all they can. On Monday, the campus was decorated with signs pointing the way to additional parking, and nine officers helped with traffic flow. ASU even reduced the cost of a parking decal from $15 to $10 a year, calling it the construction special.
Campus police went easy on violators Monday and plan to wait two weeks before ticketing vehicles without decals, Public Safety Chief Jasper Cooke said.
With completion on University Hall scheduled for next fall, construction should create a parking challenge for at least another year. In the meantime, officers are telling students to walk a little.
The campus averages 1,500 students in class at any given time, Chief Cooke said. The university has about 2,000 parking spots, some in grassy areas, church parking lots or property three blocks away.
"In the scheme of things, five minutes to 10 minutes walking from point A to point B is really not bad," Chief Cooke said.
As for the future, administrators have mentioned a parking garage and the replacement of some of the six old classroom buildings with parking lots after they are demolished.
Grant Howell, a freshman, just wants officials to pave the gravel lot for now.
"And some reserve parking would be chill," he said.
Reach Greg Rickabaugh at (706) 828-3851 or greg.rickabaugh@augustachronicle.com.
