Three miles from UNA’s cam- pus, many students must park their cars and catch a bus to class. Officials decided this summer new freshmen that live off campus must park at off-site lots to ease parking problems at UNA.

Additionally, officials decided students who park at the off-site locations would be shuttled to campus on UNA shuttle buses.

According to UNA police Chief Bob Pastula, there are two shuttle buses transporting students from the off-site parking lot on Darby Drive in Florence. He also said there are two buses shuttling students from the downtown parking garage and one bus shuttling students from their apartments off Helton Drive.

“We had 600 people ride the buses Friday,” he said. “(Adding the buses) has alleviated parking problems on campus.”

 Many students, such as UNA freshman Taylor Looney, said her only complaint about parking at the Darby Drive parking lot behind Lauderdale Lanes on Florence Boulevard is the buses take a longer amount of time to get there and transport than she expected.

 “I have been waiting for 25 minutes,” she said while at the shuttle bus stop Aug. 29. “I have places to be after this and I don’t want to be late for work. Riding the bus could cause me to lose my job.”

 The commute from the Darby Drive location to UNA takes around eight minutes. The Darby Drive route also picks up students at East Campus and drops them off at UNA.

 Officials said bus schedules and other logistic aspects of the new parking program are still being worked out during the beginning of the fall semester.

 “(This is) just the first week of class, and we are adjusting the schedules,” Pastula said.

 Vice President for Student Affairs David Shields encourages all students who are having trouble finding spots on campus to utilize the Darby lot and ride the bus into campus to avoid parking dilemmas.

He understands that by riding the bus, students have to add a little extra time in to be on time to class.

 “Even I have to plan my day,” Shields said. “It all comes down to planning.”

 Even though the new parking regulations make it easy for Looney to find a spot at the Darby Drive lot, she said the time spent waiting for the bus and traveling to campus is troublesome.

“You never have worry about finding a parking spot, but as far as time goes, it takes up too much time (to ride the bus),” Looney said. “You have to get (to the Darby lot) about 15 to 30 minutes earlier than what you think you should.”

 Shields is parking at the Darby lot and being bussed in with freshmen students. Each day, he rides from the Darby lot to UNA after riding from the Florence parking deck last year.

“The initial hesitation was this is going to be a hassle,” Shields said. “It’s an easy, effortless process.”

 Pastula and Shields both warn that students who are habitually caught parking in the wrong lots will be dealt with through the Office of Student Conduct.

 “(Students who park in the wrong spots) could be prohibited from parking on campus,” Shields said.

 Shields said students can be punished with escalating university sanctions and probation. He said being referred to the Office of Student Conduct can affect a student’s record with the university.

 Students like Looney worry their cars will be broken into while they are in class, and Shields said police have upped patrols in this area to ensure student’s cars are not broken into.

 “Between the city police and the university police, we are making frequent patrols of that lot,” Shields said. “The police have been very good at patrolling. The police have randomized their patrol to make sure there is no consistency.”

 UNA freshman Kelbie Howell said the new parking actually helps her out when having to look for a parking spot.

 “I like it and I never have to fight for a parking spot,” she said. “I thought that I might be late and stuff, but it has turned out alright.”

 UNA freshman Kim Lolley said she enjoys being dropped off in front of Bibb Graves Hall because she is in the middle of campus. Lolley said it keeps her from having to walk from the parking lot to class.