The first few weeks of fall semester are typically the busiest time for motorists on Oakland University’s campus. The university recommends that people plan ahead before visiting campus and allow for time to find a parking space so they make it to their class, job or appointments on time. During the first two weeks of the semester, the Oakland University Police Department will conduct periodic parking availability counts and stop the flow of traffic to full parking lots to ease traffic congestion, to keep pedestrians and drivers safe, and provide a time-saving service to those searching for a spot.
OUPD will provide hourly updates to the Finance and Administration Office about the number of spaces available in each parking lot on campus. For parking availability, call (248) 370-2445.
The university also offers the following suggestions to help minimize the parking crunch:
Unlike many other universities that have paid, restricted parking, OU provides more than 6,000 unrestricted parking spaces in lighted, convenient lots for students, faculty, staff and guests on a first-come, first-served basis. A limited number of restricted parking spaces to accommodate people with special needs also are available.
For most people, any parking space is at most a 15-minute walk to any building on the main campus, so spending time circling for that “perfect spot” often takes more time than parking in a lot further away.
“We are going to be very aggressive in terms of enforcing end-of-row violations and parking on the grass violations,” OU Police Department (OUPD) Chief Samuel Lucido said. “We need to make sure the lanes stay open so emergency vehicles can pass through. We also do not want people parking on the grass out of safety concerns and because it damages university property.”
OUPD will be issuing tickets to anyone who parks illegally. The minimum cost of an illegal parking ticket is $20 for a regular space and $50 for a handicapped space.