PITTSBURGH, Pa. (PTTP) – From finding a parking spot to learning how to parallel park, parking in a major city is always a challenge. Here at Pitt, students, professors, and University employees all need a place to park their cars, and there are only so many locations on campus. The waitlist to secure a reserved parking spot through the University is available to the public, but many are unaware of just how long this list is.
With just a light browse through the online waiting list, it becomes apparent that open spots are incredibly rare. There are university employees who have been waiting for an opening for upwards of 15 years. One such employee is Lauren Jonkman, an assistant part-time professor in the Department of Pharmacy and Therapeutics, who has been on the waiting list since July of 2008. Jonkman stated “I have colleagues in the school who started much more recently and there is no guarantee for any spots right now on campus.” Christopher Nygren, Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies of the History of Art and Architecture, has been at Pitt since 2014, but just recently added his name onto the list. Nygren mentioned that he used to use public transportation to get to work. He said, “I appreciate the Pitt IDs giving us access to the buses and I do my best to leave my carbon footprint low.” Since Nygren got more involved at the school, he began to drive to work, prompting him to put his name onto the long parking waitlist. Nygren expressed his frustration with the system, but said he understood why the problem persists: “it’s a limited resource, especially for the staff members.”
Many employees hope that with all of the new construction comes more parking opportunities. For now, the University is aware of the issue and is working to find a long-term fix. Nygren additionally added that he “encourage[s] any new hires to go ahead and sign up even if you don’t think you’ll need it because it’s hard to know how your role in the University is going to change until it changes.”
