Mary Washington is a university now, and it is attracting more excellent students
and faculty than ever before. That’s great news – unless you’re
looking for a parking spot.
At the Fredericksburg campus, 750 faculty and staff vie for 493 spaces. Students
have it worse with 1,700 spots to accommodate 3,200 people, 1,500 of whom
are commuters.
But help is on the way.
In spring of 2006, the University plans to open a 400-vehicle parking deck
directly behind Goolrick Hall on Alvey Drive. Drivers will access the lot
from U.S. 1, northeast of campus.
In the meantime, in order to make the most of the space on hand, UMW hired
consulting firm Desman and Associates to do a comprehensive parking survey.
The firm counted spaces, studied parking, analyzed traffic patterns near campus,
and met with groups of commuters and campus-based students.
That study led to different campus parking configurations that added 41 spaces
for faculty and staff. A few visitors’ slots also were added.
To help defray the cost of the much-needed deck, for the first time ever this
year Mary Washington students are paying for the privilege of parking on campus.
By early September, 1,386 students had paid $100 each for a permit, all of
which goes toward the new deck. Faculty and staff continue to park without
charge.
– Neva S. Trenis