The Student Government Association (SGA) held a special topic forum during the Senate’s Tuesday, Oct. 1 meeting to address students’ questions and concerns regarding campus parking and public transportation. Longwood University Police Department (LUPD) Chief of Police Bob Beach, Farmville Police Department (FPD) Chief of Police Doug Mooney, Parking Services Office Manager Laura Rice, Farmville Town Manager Gerry Spates and Farmville Area Bus (FAB) Manager Julie Adams were available to respond to any questions or comments.
Beach opened the forum by telling the senators, students, faculty and staff present at the meeting that there are changes the LUPD/Parking Services, the FAB and the Town of Farmville can make, but there are “limits to what can be done and how it can be handled.”
Beach mentioned that the addition of the Lancer Park North Campus apartments and the expansion of the FAB’s services to Lancer Park has been a “pretty big project.” Three FAB vehicles now take students directly back and forth between Lancer Park and campus before 1:23 p.m. as part of the Lancer Direct Line. The Campus Line takes students to and from Longwood Village and campus. The Express Line takes students to off-campus locations such as Walmart.
Beach said that the university finances the FAB lines through an auxiliary fund paid for by a combination of parking decal sales and tickets.
Spates also took the floor, clarifying that the university and LUPD set up the FAB routes. He said he is open to any suggestions, but is unable to accommodate any requests for a “party bus.” He said any underage individuals who step onto the FAB while indisposed are “subject to the police department.”
Adams said the Lancer Direct Line now has approximately 30-minute routes due to the additional bus stops, including the freshman parking lot at Lancer Park North Campus.
Brandon Kelly, SGA’s Virginia 21 representative, brought forward the first student concern.
He mentioned the fact that parking decal prices for main campus residents is $250 per year and prices for Lancer Park residents are $200. He said this comparison in prices was odd due to the fact that Lancer Park residents can park on campus after 5:45 p.m. He also mentioned that it would be beneficial to allow residential students to park on campus during the weekend.
Beach said he put this no weekend parking policy in place because before it existed, students who did not move their cars by the end of the weekend received tickets the following Monday morning. During that time period, Beach said, the LUPD issued 50-75 tickets on Monday morning. He said the current policy “prevents students from getting more tickets.”
By Winter Break or the beginning of the spring semester, Beach said there will be a reevaluation of all campus parking. However, he said that it will be a process.
Rice said Lancer Park visitor’s parking spaces are marked in purple on the parking maps. Anyone can park in these spaces when visiting Lancer Park residents. The process for visitor parking on campus is more extensive.
SGA Senator Queen Burrell asked if there could be FAB lines that drive separately to Lancer Park and Longwood Village. Rice said this depends on student feedback.
“We can do what you want, but we need to know enough information to make it worth the effort to do,” Rice added.
Rice said there are about 272 beds and 250 cars at Longwood Village, so a separate FAB route to the apartment community may not be helpful. However, she said it is a possibility that students may take the FAB more if there is a direct line to Longwood Village.
Beachremindedmeeting attendees that the Town of Farmville pays for the FAB and its insurance, and the university pays the FAB in return.
He added that the influx of students in Lancer Park “has been a very significant change for us ... adjusting to that change is going to take some time.” He said the university might even extend the bus lines if the ridership numbers continue to increase.
Paul Clamp, a Lancer Park resident, said something many students have noticed is that the Campus Direct FAB schedule does not seem as predictable as previous years. He said it would be easier for the FAB to arrive at quarter after and quarter till every hour.
Beach added that the FAB’s arrival is sometimes affected by morning rush hour.
Logan Miller, senior class president, said some Lancer Park North Campus students have been parking in the spots near the townhouses or main apartments, blocking these residents from parking in spaces near their apartments. He suggested possibly designating parking spaces for certain buildings with signs in the future.
Rice said it is important for Lancer Park Resident Assistants to introduce parking by one’s respective building as a topic. She expressed the importance of “being good neighbors.”
SGA Webmaster Kasey Haddock asked if it was possible to comment on FAB drivers’ performances. Adams said anyone with comments can contact the FAB office at 434-392- RIDE and ask to speak with her.
Mooney added that all of the buses have camera and audio surveillance that can be accessed to investigate any comments.
Graduate representative Chelsea Carroll said there is a great deal of graduate students who are unable to find parking spots before 6 p.m. and end up being late to class.
Rice said she will make sure to investigate the volume of the lots at that time. She did say, however, that “proximity to academic space [is] not always possible.” She said if the issue is that students do not want to walk long distances to parking spaces, escorts or LUPD officers can walk with them to their cars.
As for Oktoberfest, which takes place from Friday, Oct. 4 to Saturday, Oct. 5, Mooney said the FPD will have a checkpoint on High Street in front of the Rotunda from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. each night. He said the department’s goal is to keep traffic down and look for drunk drivers. The FPD will also be stationed at another location in town further away from campus.
Beach told students to “have a good time” during Oktoberfest but to be “conscious and aware.”
“We’re not here to get you in trouble, but we too have to maintain order in this community,” said Beach.
Beach mentioned that on Tuesday, Oct. 8, “Coffee with the Chief” will take place at Java City at 9 a.m. He said this is an open forum event where students can ask him and Rice any questions while enjoying a cup of coffee.
Spates said students can attend Farmville Town Council meetings every second Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. at Farmville Town Hall at 116 N. Main Street.
Students with additional parking and transportation concerns can contact Sommer at steven.sommer@live.longwood. edu or Vest at haley.vest@live. longwood.edu.
