Phone Service to Help Campus Motorists

Contact: Joe Carr at (207) 581-3571

ORONO — Drivers looking park on the University of Maine campus can access current information on vacant spaces through a new telephone service. Starting today, a recorded message at 581-INFO will provide information on where motorists should look for available spaces.

“We have enough spaces to accommodate commuter student, faculty and staff and resident student parking needs,” says UMaine police major Alan Stormann, director of parking and transportation services. “The situation during peak weekday hours is fluid, and our staff members are able to assess current availability. They report that information to our central office, and we will use this new mechanism to let drivers know where they should look for space.”

The frequency of udpates will depend on various factors, including traffic volume. Stormann says he’s confident that the information will be timely enough to be valuable to motorists.

“I hope that drivers, especially commuter students, find this service useful as a time-saver and as a convenience,” he says. “It also fits with our energy conservation efforts, as it should reduce the amount of time people are driving around looking for available parking.”

More information on UMaine parking policies and practices is on the Web at http://www.umaine.edu/parking/default.htm. Visitor parking permits are available at UMaine’s Public Safety Building, Bear Necessities in Alfond Arena, and Buchanan Alumni House’s visitors center.