Students find ways around parking

Skylar Blankenship
Staff Writer

Students are continuing to struggle with the morning traffic and parking around Hudson Valley.

The college constructed a parking garage, created new parking lots and restructured other parking lots in attempts to provide more parking for students. Hudson Valley also purchased property near the former Grove restaurant to designate as the overflow lot to further this goal.

“Parking is pretty bad, so I end up leaving an hour early again just so I can get here on time and and find a parking spot pretty easily,” said Kyle McMillan, a sophomore business administration major.

Hudson Valley has 10 parking lots labeled A-K, a several story parking garage and overflow parking across the street. There is also specific parking for employees, those who are handicapped and visitors. Despite the parking available, students still feel that isn’t enough for the amount of commuting students.

“I think that if you get here before nine, it is easier to park then getting here after nine; then parking is really difficult to find, and I think people leave after noon and then again it is easier to find parking,” says Erin Wilder, a computer science major.

Students like Wilder find their way around the daily headache of parking by adjusting the times that they arrive and leave campus.

In 2003, more parking spaces were made available on campus to accommodate the number of students. Spots specifically for motorcycles were added as well.

With Hudson Valley being a large commuting school, many students do not live in the immediate area surrounding Hudson Valley. Although many students drive to school, there is also a large number of students that use alternatives transportation such as the CDTA bus system or get rides from family and friends.

Students like psychology major Paul Lowry Jr. use CDTA daily and find that the commute is difficult despite not having to deal with parking. Lowry has to take multiple busses to get to Hudson Valley every morning which adjusts the times he needs to wake up.

“My morning routine kind of sucks because I live in Schenectady, so I have to wake up a half hour before sunrise,” said Lowry.

“[I] walk about a mile from my house to catch the 370 and take that bus for an hour and a half all the way to downtown Troy, and wait another 10 minutes for the 85 or 2240 to take me all the way up here.”

Although Lowry dislikes the length of his trip, he does find it convenient and useful to have the free bus pass that comes with his Hudson Valley ID.