Texas Tech students who tried to buy commuter parking passes after Aug. 19 got a rather large shock.
Because of the cap placed on commuter passes, Tech's Office of Traffic and Parking sold out several days before school started, so late-comers had to purchase satellite passes, a new implementation this year, because of the loss o parking spaces because of construction.
The Texas Tech administration formed an emergency plan after approximately 1,000 satellite parking spaces were lost because of the incomplete construction of the Tech Parkway.
The S1 Satellite Lot, located west of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, is barricaded because of the construction, along with 18th Street, 19th Street and Main Street intersecting with Indiana Avenue.
In response to this, the Tech administration teamed up with Texas Department of Transportation to speed up construction and minimize the inconvenience. Students who have satellite parking permits will be allowed to park in the International Cultural Center, Town & Country Shopping Center, located north of Jones SBC Stadium, the Texas Tech Museum and Ranching Heritage parking lots and will be bused onto campus. Two temporary bus shelters will be added along Boston Avenue.
To keep the time between buses to less than 10 minutes, the Student Government Association worked in conjunction with Citibus to change bus routes to accommodate the temporary satellite parking lots. The Masked Rider bus will go to the new satellite lots by Indiana Ave. and 4th Street, then to the Hastings parking lot.
SGA External Vice President Anne Hunninghake said the SGA has added one more bus to open up the system.
"Adding one more bus may not sound like much, but you don't realize how much faster the buses will circulate," Hunninghake said. "Citibus has been wonderful and very accommodating to the new addition."
Hunninghake said the SGA plans to educate students about the construction and where they can park. Posters will be placed all around in the Lubbock community and page reminders will be passed out after class. The SGA encourages students to ride the buses whenever possible, she said
Director of Traffic and Parking Buddy Knox worked to utilize as much parking space as possible, but he said parking in wrong areas will result in parking tickets and towing.
"We want to be very consistent and fair with everyone," Knox said. "We're trying our hardest to lighten the problem."
After 3 p.m., students with satellite parking permits may park in commuter parking and, and after 5 p.m., they are allowed to park on campus.
Vice President of Operations Max Hinojosa said the construction is expected to be completed mid-October.
"The entire university and TxDOT has really come together to alleviate the current situation," Hinojosa said.
Lubbock District Engineer Randy Hopmann said he has been working closely with Hinojosa and Knox to make sure everything is coordinated.
"This is a very critical point, and I'm making sure we work seven days a week to have the intersection of 18th Street and Indiana is open by the beginning of school," Hopmann said. "Our next big milestone is the first home game on Sept. 18. Whatever we can speed up, we are doing. The thing I'm most proud of is TxDOT and Texas Tech are working hand in hand to try to minimize the disruption."
According to www.parking.ttu.edu, all commuter parking permits have been sold, but students can still buy satellite permits. Students with satellite permits may park in the two-hour parking at the Robert H. Ewalt Student Recreational Center. Student also can ride Citibus in town for free as long as they show their student I.D.
Cooperation between TxDot and Tech has been influential in the construction progress, Hopmann said.
"That is the key to success of what everyone is trying to accomplish," he said. "This delay in construction affects everyone; when you have communication, it minimizes this."
For current updates and parking reminders, go to www.parking.ttu.edu or www.citibus.com
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