Trying to find a parking space at SFU Burnaby this fall has become a daily struggle for some students, as the most popular parking lots -— Lots B and C — are often filled to capacity by lunch time.

Although those with indoor permits have been largely unaffected, students with outdoor parking passes have complained about the lack of space they paid for.

The Peak spoke to director of Parking Services, David Agosti, to find out the reasons behind this issue and the steps Parking Services is taking to rectify it.

“We’ve sold more or less the same number of permits as we sold in Fall 2013,” said Agosti, explaining that the issue shouldn’t be one of capacity. 

In Fall 2013, Parking Services sold 2,200 outdoor permits; this year, they sold 2,300. The combined capacity of Lots B, C and Discovery P3 is 1,950.

When asked what other explanation might account for the over-crowded lots, Agosti responded, “We’re thinking that part of it might be because of the teachers’ strike [. . .] a lot of education students and faculty would normally be in the classroom, [but] couldn’t be in the classroom and are instead up here.”

At present, Parking Services is trying to mitigate the influx of extra cars in several ways. Through collaboration with Facilities Services, SFU service vehicles have been redirected to park elsewhere to create more spaces. Also, turnaround areas are being reduced in size, and the extra space will be used to paint in more parking spaces.

Agosti acknowledged that these are short-term solutions, and said that in the long-term the Sustainable Mobility Advisory Committee (SMAC) is working towards better bus service to and from campus. They are also working to better understand student behaviour, bus pass-ups, and reasons people elect not to take transit.

In Agosti’s opinion, transit problems may explain the greater demand for parking space: “It’s possible that some people are saying even though I have an U-Pass, I can’t get on the bus.”

For those still struggling to find a place to park, Agosti suggested a solution for the immediate future: “If you’re arriving between 10:30 and 1:00, for now, skip C lot, go straight to B lot or Discovery P3” in order to save yourself time and stress.