Many cars were blocked in by snowplows on Sunday after a foot of snow blanketed Columbus on Jan. 27. CampusParc was tasked with removing this snow in on-campus parking lots. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor
Parking at Ohio State, already at a premium, became even more difficult after the Jan. 24 snowstorm left campus covered in a foot of snow, and clearing it left giant piles where parking spots used to be.
Of the campus’ 3,500 spots, about 10% remain unusable due to snow accumulation that has not melted due to continued frigid temperatures, Keith Palma, executive director of business operations for CampusParc, said.
Snow accumulation is first moved from ADA accessible spaces, and piles are created to maintain visibility and pedestrian safety, Palma said.
CampusParc works with two national snow removal vendors and an in-house maintenance team to plow, shovel and salt priority areas such as garages, entries and exits.
Some students, however, said parking conditions remain frustrating.
Aiden Vaught, a second-year in political science, said parking was difficult, especially near spots where snow had piled up.
“Finding adequate spots, pulling my old 2005 car into the spots over the snow, and pulling out afterward was a real challenge,” Vaught said. “Columbus was clearly not ready to handle the snow, and it shows in the difficulty I and many others have had in parking.”
In some cases, snow accumulated on parking garage rooftops must be hauled off campus to prevent exceeding structural weight limits, a process Palma described as time-consuming and disruptive but necessary for safety.
Palma said more than 600 parking spaces remain available daily in the Riverbank lots, located north and south of the Olentangy River near Ohio State’s agricultural and veterinary campuses.
CampusParc’s Winter Weather Preparedness advisory encourages drivers to exercise caution when snow or slush makes parking lines hard to see and to avoid leaving vehicles in ways that could block lanes, reduce visibility or limit vehicles.
The advisory said that vehicles are not typically cited for parking over the line when snow covers the markings.
“We definitely pull back [enforcement] during winter weather events, and then the days that follow those weather events,” Palma said. “Once it is clear, then we go back to normal operations. But we do try to do it from an educational standpoint.”
