When Junior Caroline Hart was walking through the Mahan parking lot across from the Quick Center, she thought everyone had lost their minds.
“I saw cars parked on grass, cars parked basically in the middle of the road…I even saw a car parked on a parking stopper. That’s how I knew people were desperate for parking.”
Hart also saw what she said was, “more tickets than I had ever seen in my entire life.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many tickets on cars before. I’m not even sure why half of them were there…some of the cars with tickets weren’t even parking in faculty lots. It was weird.”
This year, Fairfield changed its parking lot system for residents and non-residents. However, many students have expressed frustration with the system.
In the past, students were assigned a designated lot to park their car which could have been right next to their dorm, or on the other side of campus.
Hart had access to her car as a sophomore in order to drive her brother to physical therapy appointments.
“Last year, I lived in Meditz, but the lot I was assigned to was behind Canisius. So every time I needed to get to my car, I would need to walk at least ten minutes to get to my car. It doesn’t sound like that much time, but having my car was supposed to make transportation easier, but in the end it was much more difficult. I dreaded driving.”
However, this year, lots were assigned differently. Now, lots are either orange for residents, green for non-residents, blue for faculty and facilities, and white for commuters.
“In a perfect world, orange lots would be by the on-campus dorms, faculty lots would be behind the academic buildings and leftover spaces or smaller would be left for non-residents,” said Mary Rado ‘26.
Junior Angelina Brandon suggested that Fairfield expand the lots they already have.
“There needs to be more resident lots,” said Angelina Brandon ‘26, “There is no reason why I should be driving around campus for 20 minutes trying to find a parking space after going grocery shopping.”
Brandon noted that several times, she has resorted to parking on the grass behind Mahan, where she lives and she saw other cars do the same.
“I ended up receiving two tickets for parking on the grass and leaving it for two days. I thought the point of this new lot system was that we would be able to park close to our buildings.”
The Rearview reached out to the university for a comment on parking on campus. They did not respond to our request.
Junior Jack Levine, who lives in the townhouses, recently received a ticket for not parking in the correct lot.
“I struggle to find parking…since there’s 36 people in my block and only 12 spots. I think the parking at Fairfield is terrible.”
Junior Erin Gibbons lives in the townhouses closest to McAuliffe Hall.
“I’ve seen a lot of faculty, who I would presume work in McAuliffe, park in the resident lot by my house. Monday through Friday it’s impossible to find a spot.”
The parking situation at Fairfield University highlights growing concerns over campus overcrowding.
As more students are admitted each year, the strain on parking and housing resources becomes increasingly evident. With students and faculty alike struggling to find parking, the issue of space on campus is one that Fairfield will need to address as the campus population continues to grow.
