AUGUSTA, Ga (WJBF)- Soon, students at Augusta University’s Health Sciences campus will have more parking. Monday the University will hold a ground breaking ceremony on its new parking deck.
Student parking for this campus has been a huge problem for a very long time. Many students say finding parking and getting to class on time is a daily struggle.
7 years ago, some folks who live near the campus went before Augusta commissioners to complain that AU students were blocking driveways and bus and ambulance access.
The new deck will provide more than 1,300 parking spaces. That’s a 60 percent increase in parking capacity.
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University officials hope the new deck will also help with congestion in nearby neighborhoods.
“Right now we are parking most of our folks outside the footprint of our Health Science campus. We only have about 1500 spaces inside our footprint. And so by adding this new parking facility, we hope to bring most of our folks and our students who work or attend class on this campus inside. It makes it more convenient for them and also a little bit safer,” said Dale Hartenburg, Assistant Vice President Campus Services.
Safety for students has been a concern for while, because they have to cross train tracks and a busy road to get to campus. And a lot of times they have to do so in the dark.
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“Human nature, as it is, you know, we’d like everybody to hit a crosswalk. Do those kind of things. But we also know there are days when you are just running behind, and so you’re looking. And so we think that by making it easy and convenient for everyone, we indirectly increase their safety,” said Hartenburg.
The ground breaking ceremony will start at 10 a.m. near Elm Hall on the Health Sciences Campus.
Preparations for construction on the parking deck has already started. It’s expected to wrap up and be in use by spring of 2025.
Photojournalist: Dania Alawir.
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