Parking-A Balancing Act

Did you know all the time and planning that goes into making parking spaces? It can become quite a balancing act to create spaces and be eco-friendly. Many communities are concerned about the negative impact on not providing enough parking for business (like our school) since it creates problems for their neighborhoods.

This type of situation does occur during events, banned students park on neighboring streets or park illegally at the village commons. Balancing student, employee and visitor parking is a great task that people take for granted.

So, next time you are mumbling under your breath that there isn't a parking space near your building please keep in mind the college tries to accommodate for vehicles being on campus. There is no simple, correct answer on how much parking is needed. Take advantage of the beautiful work that Facilities Management does for the college's grounds and take a brisk stroll past the wonderful landscape art they do.

Confusing Signs?

Sometimes things are forgotten about around here since everyone is extremely busy. Hey, we are only human! So, if you pull into a parking spot and the sign for that area just seems odd, not making sense or just too confusing, let us know!

At times, the markings on the ground are not changed to match the sign or vise versa right away.

So, if you park your vehicle in the morning and its a regular old sign and when you return to your vehicle and there is now a Handicap Sign and a ticket on your car, just let us know. Since its happened before, it could happen again.

Or you pull into a parking area and the arrow on the sign indicates Faculty/Staff parking on both sides of your parking spot, but there is also a service vehicles sign for the spot next to you which just makes it all confusing, give us a call.

It could be the spaces are in the process of being updated or things have been held up for one reason or another. But, we welcome any feedback about the parking areas.

Feel Free to Stop By!

If you ever have a question regarding parking, please do not hesitate to stop by or call the office. The Parking Office is open 8:30am-4pm, Monday-Friday (excluding college holidays, but we'll inform you when that will be) for your questions, concerns and other parking related issues.

If you would prefer to email the Parking Coordinator, she would love to hear from you. Her name is Charlyn Puza and you can email her at cpuza@mtholyoke.edu

Please Yeild!

Please yield to our fine furry friends here at MHC. I know it may be tough to do so on some days (you know, those mornings when they don't stop yakking away and you were up "studding" late), but the ducks and geese are a wonderful addition to our community. Just look how cute they are!

Register Your Bike!

Don't forget! Register your bicycle before it disappear. I don't mean its going to be stolen by us, just removed to make room for the incoming bikes in for the Fall.

If you are on campus and your bike has a bright orange tag on it, please stop by the office to register your bike. Its *FREE*.

If you are off campus for the summer and your bike was not registered before you left, it may have a tag on it. Call the Parking Office as soon as you can to discuss your options.

Bicycles will be very important in the upcoming months with the cost of fuel skyrocketing, so keep this in mind and don't let your bike disappear.

Where are all the Student parking areas?

Student parking areas can be found on the outskirts of campus. Some are even located near dorms for easy access. So, when you are choosing your dorm room keep that in mind if you need to park near the dorm for your activities.

If you chose to live in Ham/Mac, you can park in the student spaces right across the street or even in the Equestrian Center which is right next door. If you live in Abbey/Buck, you can park in the student spaces in the Gorse Lot. Also, if you chose to live in Pearsons Hall, there are those student spaces right near the dorm.

There are other spaces around campus too. There are a couple rows across from the main gate in Mary Lyon Lot & a row near the Betty Shabazz House.

But keep in mind, students may *NEVER* park in a faculty/staff space, even over the summer. So, keep in mind the proximity of spaces while choosing your dorm and schedule!

Parking On Local Streets

In an attempt to assist our residential neighbors, please be aware that there is no on-street parking on Town of South Hadley streets near the campus. Registered vehicles must use campus spaces.

This is to assist in keeping those spaces available for visitors of the surrounding residential neighborhoods. These spaces are along Church Street and around the houses that border the campus.

Ticket Collections

Beginning July 1, 2007 Municipal Management Agency will begin processing all unpaid tickets for unregistered vehicles as well as for employee vehicles. The goal of contracting with this company is to increase collection of unpaid tickets.

So if you receive a bill from this company, it is a legitimate contractor hired to process these tickets. Please follow the instructions on your notice for submitting payment to tickets.

A side benefit to this service is more flexibility in payment of tickets. Mount Holyoke College is only able to accept cash or check payments; MMA has a secure online payment site that allows you to use a credit or debit card. They also offer a ticket reminder service that can send you an email to remind you about tickets that are past the statement due date.

Please note that as part of this process, failure to pay tickets issued at Mount Holyoke College may result in having your vehicle registration become non-renewable.

Friday Parking Humor

Sam went to court and received a fine for parking his car in a "No Parking" zone.

"Do you have anything to say?" asked the Judge.

"Yes," he replied, "They shouldn't put up such misleading notices."

"What do you mean?" the Judge asked.

"The sign said, "Fine for Parking Here."

Tips To Keep Your Car Cool

While some of us cannot avoid driving to work (since a bike ride is just impossible), here are a few tips to help keep your car cool during the hot, humid days of summer (thanks to greencars.org).

• Park in the shade in summer to keep your car cool and minimize evaporation of fuel.
• If you have a garage, use it as much as possible to keep your car warm in winter and cool in summer.
• If you have to park outdoors, windshield shades can cut down on summer heat and help keep the frost off in the winter.

Also, I would suggest leaving your windows rolled down a smidge to let the warmer air, that would normally be trapped in your vehicle, be able to vent out so you do not receive the hot air slap in the face when you return to your vehicle at the end of the day.

Building Mascot

You've seen him strutting around campus, you've read about him in the MHC News, you've probably heard about him from your friends, now *YOU* can stop by and meet the building's mascot!

After you are done taking care of your parking business, make sure to visit,McDougal (or Doogie for short) downstairs in Auxiliary Services Office (in the one-card office section).

He absolutely loves visitors and likes to give kisses too. So, don't forget about him! You won't regret it!

Blanchard Green Parking Spots

Be advised that the Faculty/Staff parking spaces the run along the Skinner green behind Safford Hall will be unavailable until December 2008. The 2-hour visitor spaces will remain available that are near Skinner Hall.

The spaces are unavailable for the renovation construction for Safford Hall.

Bicycle Safety Tips

If you are one of the many employees or students who have been thinking about using your bike to get from point A to point B these days, here are some helpful tips to make your journey safer.

1. Wear a helmet. Yes, they might not be the ideal fashion accessory, but if could help you in the event an accident should occur.
2. Use lights or reflective gear. You might be able to see the cars around you, but the person driving might have a hard time seeing you at sunset or at night.
   
3. Never ride agaisnt the flow of traffic. This may be tough to avoid on campus, but off campus it should become habit since motorists aren't looking for bicyclists riding on the wrong side of the road. Some state laws & common sense require that bicyclists drive like other vehicles.
4. Learn hand signals. Hand signals tell motorists and pedestrians what you intend to do since most bikes do not have blinkers . You should signal as a matter of courtesy and of self-protection.
5. Never ride with headphones. If you ride with headphones, you will not be able to hear what is occuring around you, like a horn honking, fire engine approching or any other hazords that are going on around you that you should avoid.
   

Check out Bicycle Safe for "10 ways not to get hit by cars". This guide assists the bicyclists with the correct ways of crossing intersections and other areas. The author is straight forward, but the tips could mean the difference of being hit or not by a vehicle.

When can I pick-up my 08-09 decal?

Students-

Students may start to register for their 2008-2009 decal for the academic year after 7/1/2008. If you register on-line, you will receive a $15 discount. The cost of decals are-
Resident Student $125 (with discount $110)
Day Student $75 (with discount $60)
Equestrian Center $100 (with discount $85)

The discount will expire when classes start in the fall.

If your vehicle is registered out-of-state you will need to fill out an additional form to let the state know you are not living in MA, just attending school, to avoid paying excise tax. We will provide that link for you online.

Employees-

The round one year decals expire 6/30/2008. If your term here at the college has not expired, please stop by the office to renew your decal.

The square decal with the picture of the main gate is still in effect. Those decals expire 6/30/2009, so we can all relax for one more year. No worries for the mad dash to renew!

Can I keep my car on campus for the summer?

If you are a student and will be on campus this summer, you may park your vehicle in a student parking area without a decal. Its our gift to you, *FREE* summer parking! But, please keep in mind......you cannot park in a Faculty/Staff space even in the summer. Those spaces are for employees who are here during the warmer months.

If you are a student but leaving for the summer, you may *NOT* leave your vehicle on campus while you are away. This is to avoid any issues that may arise with your vehicle. You may be thinking, what can happen? Well, if a water main breaks where your car is parked, we have no way of moving the vehicle except for towing it off campus - expensive! Or if a tree falls on your car, and you live in California....well, that's just an unpleasant thought. These are just a couple of the reasons we do not allow vehicle to be left unattended on campus.

Thanks for the question Erin! Keep 'em coming!