Slow snow-clearing causes parking issues for U of R students

The recent blast of snow lead to some frustrating challenges for drivers attempting to park at the University of Regina.

Many vehicles have been getting stuck in the 35 centimetres — nearly 14 inches — of snow Regina has received since Saturday.

Joshua Zorn, a third-year student at the U of R, called it frustrating.

He pays around $300 for parking privileges.

“Two of the biggest ones haven’t been touched since it started snowing, basically, as far as I can tell,” Zorn said Tuesday afternoon.

He said the University had sent an email to students indicating about 80% of the lots were cleared by Tuesday morning.

He said it didn’t look that way.

“Anyone with a low, two-wheel drive vehicle, any of these lots that haven’t been cleared they’re going to be stuck and they’re having a really hard time getting into the lot, never mind getting out of the lot.”

Parents have also been called in to help their children who tried to make it to school on Monday.

Dave said his daughter had called for him to get her out of the parking lot when her car got stuck.

He ended up helping two other students get their vehicles out as well.

He said as other students tried to leave, they ended up getting stuck as well, blocking the entrance to the parking lot.

“So we helped about another five or six people, pushing them out of the way as well before we could get out,” Dave said.

One of the things he noticed was that it appeared professor and employee parking lots had been cleared.

He said this isn’t the first complaint about parking they’ve had, noting the University often oversells the parking lot, meaning those who paid aren’t guaranteed a spot.

Zorn said he feels like there was a lack of preparation for the snow.

“If they had been worked on maybe a little bit after the snowfall on Sunday in time for Monday morning, we probably wouldn’t be having this problem.”

The University of Regina said in a statement it is asking people to only park in lots that have been cleared so their crews can continue to clear the other lots.

Tickets weren’t handed out Tuesday or Wednesday if students were parked in the wrong areas.

Crews estimate they will have all lots cleared by Friday.