As students returned from winter break, an area of campus that saw the most action first, was the parking lots. This year, many students have been left to circle multiple lots across campus and wait in lines just to find a place to park their ride.
According to New Mexico State University Parking & ID Services, the amount of total parking spaces on campus sits at 15,619. This includes residential spots for dorm students, all-permit parking spaces, faculty parking and other slots for special groups, including accessible and motorcycles.
The parking office website states that while 7,900 parking spaces are occupied during peak hours of the day, there are still over 5,600 slots available for students to choose from. However, in an official poll conducted by The Round Up 89% of participants said they are having a harder time this year finding an available parking spot compared to previous years.
Eight percent of respondents said they believe parking now is similar to what it was in the past, while 4% said they have not noticed any difference. However, frustration among students has built up.
NMSU student Karla Soto said finding a reasonable spot is tough.
“The lack of parking near your actual class is frustrating,” Soto said.
Other areas where students expressed concern was the ratio of available parking spaces in staff labeled lots, as compared to all-permit and commuter student zoned parking areas.
“It seems like there’s an increase in staff parking and a decrease in commuter parking,” one student said. Adding, “most of the free parking spaces for all permits are way too far from classes that students need.”
So, what is driving the longer queues and fuller lots? The answer can be attributed to the number of students who are back for in-person classes.
A preliminary enrollment report published in September 2023 from the NMSU system showed the Las Cruces campus saw a 3.7% enrollment increase over fall 2022, bringing the total amount of undergraduate students on campus to 14,794.
First– time freshman enrollment at the start of the 2023-2024 school year totaled 2,410, a 3.5% increase over fall 2022, making the class of 2027 one of the largest in recent history.
Director of Auxiliary Operations, Jacob Nevarez, said there was a 21% increase of all permits sold between fall 2022 and fall 2023. There was also an 8% increase in the number of commuter permits sold during the same time frame.
Students stated that the full lots and longer queues have led them to take risks.
Junior biology major Kaylin Lashley mentioned she also had to take a risk to get to her classes on time. That risk was noticed by the NMSU parking office on the second day of school.
“I had to park in the staff lot as I got there at 10 a.m., and all the commuter spots were full behind Corbett,” Lashley said. “My thoughts were frustrated because the faculty spots are never full.”
Lashley stated when she returned to her vehicle, she noticed two citations. One for her wrongful parking, which she recognized, and one for her plates.
She mentioned that a few days prior, her license plate registration sticker had fallen off but if the parking police had run her plates, they would have seen that she renewed her plate sticker.
The NMSU parking rules and regulations state that NMSU Police and Parking services can cite vehicles for expired plates, as it falls under a vehicle being “unregistered.”
NMSU Police Department Lt. Nelson McGuire said while issuing citations for license plates has been done before, it was not as common as it may be now. He said there may have been some confusion within the parking office to those seeking resolutions if their license plates were cited.
“It seems like it was something kind of newer that was starting to be enforced on a regular basis., that was maybe where there was some confusion, “McGuire said.
The number of citations this year so far have remained the same as compared to years past, but there are more complaints McGuire mentioned.
“I know that we have been receiving maybe some more complaints from different departments about their specialty reserved spaces, like what is reserved for their dean’s office or their visitors for that specific building of unauthorized people parking there,” he said. “I can’t say for sure if all those violators have been students, or guests of the University or faculty/staff as well parking where they shouldn’t.”
McGuire said the NMSU Police Department will continue to meet with Parking Services office to ensure that there is clarity in citation enforcements and better the response to those seeking answers to their parking inquires.
Both Lashley’s tickets were waived, which she said she was grateful for. However, she felt, as a student, there should be more warnings for first offenses. She also mentioned that students make decisions based on their priorities.
“I think at a certain point, we are still students who have to get to class, and class is priority over parking, as much as they don’t want to hear it,” she said.
For those who are wondering if NMSU will address the parking issues on campus, there are changes in the works.
The university is in the process of implementing a new parking master plan, which will involve a third-party contractor to make future changes to parking on campus, Nevarez said. Students will have the opportunity to provide their input
“That’s what we are hoping for, is that students do voice their opinions and their concerns,” Nevarez stated.
The NMSU Parking & ID Servies office said the goal is to have the third-party contractor nailed down by the end of the year so that input can be gathered, and future parking changes can be implemented.
