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Parking hopes new changes are for the better Nolte, Neufang work with students to improve poor customer satisfaction By Molly Maple News Staff ATLANTA November 13, 1998
 Most Tech students would heartily agree that the issue of parking has been a ubiquitous problem for a long time. The likelihood of finding a good place is about that of winning the lottery-twice. However, Director of Parking John Nolte and new Assistant Director Kurt Neufang, with the help of concerned students, are taking steps to alleviate the issues at hand.
The Campus Services, Safety, and Planning committee, chaired by Matt Mason, recently met with Nolte and Neufang to discuss plans for the parking situation.
Nolte and Neufang offered some new proposals that are in the works in addition to listening to students' concerns and answering questions. Mason is realistic but positive about these new ideas, which include parking meters, more gated decks, online parking registration, and new decks.
He says, "[Nolte] is working as hard as he can to do as much as he can. The campus is growing, and the cost of new decks is extremely exorbitant." However, Mason does realize some major problems of the parking situation. He feels, "Students are observing a wasted effort. The lack of enforcement of the decks allows students to park wherever they can; with no need for permits, the system is in disarray."
Nolte also notes the control of unregistered vehicles and out of zone parking as a great problem. He agrees, "Enforcing is a problem. We have had a lot of staffing turnover and we're trying to supplement our current staff, but we need student help. We will welcome anyone interested in being employed with us."
Nolte hopes that the new gates for the parking decks, which will be accessible only to students registered to those decks with their Buzz Cards, will help to alleviate the problem. He also plans for parking meters that will, in addition to functioning as a standard parking meter, allow for a few minutes of free time for students just running errands. Both Nolte and Neufang hope to begin instituting both of these plans this year.
Both men also recognize the problems that this year's students had registering for a parking permit. Online registration should be available for students as early as this spring. The process will allow students to verify all current information, as well as make corrections online before taking them to the next level of registration.
"Our goal is to have this plan tested and ready for use by the registration for next fall. It should help a lot and make the whole process work more efficiently," said Nolte.
Neufang hopes that this will continue in the trend of improving customer service. "Customer service is key. We are aiming to work as quickly and efficiently as possible," he stated.
Another possibility for the future is allowing students to register for parking the same way that they do for classes-by seniority. The idea, however, is still being evaluated, as are many of Nolte and Neufang's ideas.
The lack of parking and the high cost of permits are probably the two most common student complaints. However, Mason feels students need to take all the factors into account.
"Students need to realize that we have limited resources as far as land and money to build decks. The cost of space in Atlanta is absolutely exorbitant. People say it only costs $20 to park in Athens, but land is cheap there," explained Mason.
Nolte agrees, remarking on the cost for a base parking deck. "It costs ten thousand dollars per parking place to build a deck. However, we are required to build nine new decks and we have spaced those out to one new deck every three years; we will essentially be building new decks for the next 27 years."
Other plans include the possibility of a remote "Freshman Only" parking lot. This too is still in the planning stages, and will only be provided for freshmen entering their second or later quarter at Tech.
The most current plans call for a deck to be built between State Street and Atlantic Drive, just north of the now defunct nuclear reactor.
"It's too early to be sure, but we are hoping to start construction this coming summer, maybe in July sometime. We anticipate that the entire process will take ten to twelve months, but again, the deck is still in the planning stages," said Nolte.
Another deck is included in the plans for the new SAC II as well, and Nolte believes it may be the next step on the agenda.
The latest onslaught of students is a major culprit to blame for the lack of parking.
"Overpopulation is a problem, but a good problem for the institution as a whole. It has put extra demand on the other resources, but you have to look at the whole picture. We're attracting people but losing parking resources," explained Nolte.
Although he recognizes many students are unhappy with the current parking situation, Nolte remains optimistic about upcoming plans.
"We didn't get to our present place overnight. It is going to take a while to get things where everyone is happier, but that's what we're all about," said Nolte.
More information concerning rideshares, announcements, information about appeals, and Stinger schedules can be accessed on the parking Web site: www.parking.gatech.edu. All comments, questions, or inquiries about employment with parking enforcement can be directed to either John Nolte, Director of Parking, or Kurt Neufang, Assistant Director of Parking.
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Copyright © 1998 by Gregory S. Scherrer, Editor and by the Student Publications Board
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