Students may receive another late-night option to traverse campus with a new UNA golf cart.
If approved, this new addition to the transportation service will allow double the traffic for students looking for an after-hours ride back to their dorms.
While many students allegedly can’t find a park, a recent study by UNA’s Office of Institutional Research shows that UNA is over parking capacity for around three hours a day during peak attendance.
UNA student Debora Turner normally parks in the parking garage on campus, but finds it difficult to park after hours.
“It’s like I go into the parking garage and fight for my life,” Turner said.
Parking has been a hot topic on campus recently, with a new committee being established by SGA President Kerigan Mardis to discuss student issues for campus residents and commuters alike.
President Mardis has prioritized residential parking issues, proposing this new golf cart to shuttle students across campus.
The Student Nighttime Auxiliary Patrol is an on-campus organization that acts as a transportation service during the late hours of the night.
SNAP provides a buddy system for students looking to catch a ride across UNA’s campus. The students are accompanied by two SNAP officers to provide a safe environment and comfortable environment on the commute back to the students’ dorms.
However, only 3 students can fit on the cart at a time, occasionally having to make multiple trips to shuttle students.
“One of the times I used [SNAP], they had to take one group and come back for the other,” says Turner. “It was really cold, so I think [a new cart] would be beneficial.”
While campus residents want more versatility in parking, other residents may rely on UNA’s shuttle system and SNAP to get around campus entirely.
However, there are three and a half hours between the time the shuttle stops running, and SNAP starts making its rounds.
“Since I don’t have a car, [SNAP] is really the only option,” says UNA Student Madelyn Zaiontz. “Aside from the shuttle, which isn’t the best [for me].”
Zaiontz lives on campus with no vehicle, typically walking from place to place. Still, she thinks that an extra cart for SNAP would encourage students to take late-night courses and worry less about transportation.
“[The shuttle] only goes from the morning until four, which isn’t good if people wanted to take later classes,” says Zaiontz. “So I think it would be lovely.”
UNA Police Sergeant Greg Kirby has been working with the Parking Ad Hoc committee and President Mardis to put students first in their parking endeavors.
“Some of the construction is an inconvenience [to students],” says Sergeant Kirby. “But we do our best to facilitate [our services] around those areas.”
As of March 17, the Parking Ad Hoc Committee is still considering purchasing a new golf cart.
SNAP operates between 7:30 pm and 1:30 am. If you need a ride between these hours, call 256-765-4357, and give them your name, location and destination.
