There are a total of 4,291 parking spaces on campus. At the moment, many of these spaces are inaccessible because of two major construction projects on campus.

ACU Police Chief Jimmy Ellison has been dealing with the changing parking situation since construction began last semester. He has kept in contact with the university through periodic e-mails to students, faculty and staff describing how to navigate the available parking lots.

“I think we will have more parking issues this year, due primarily to the loop line project and the Wellness Center project. And on top of those things, smaller projects are going to pop up as well,” Ellison said.

In March, the ACU Police sent a mass e-mail regarding what were then minor parking changes caused by the beginning construction on the Royce and Pam Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center. Since then, the parking situation has become more of a challenge as the loop line piping construction continues.

“The loop line project is like a moving target we have to shoot at,” Ellison said.

“Today it’s impacting parking lots A, B and C, but in a week, that’ll be finished and it’ll affect parking lots D, E and F,” Ellison said.

Due to the nature of these projects, it is uncertain exactly how many parking spots will be available when classes start Monday.

“We’ve got great numbers enrolled, a high percentage of students that bring vehicles to campus, and on top of that we have some great progress with construction on campus,” Ellison said.

For several years, the ACU Police have given new and returning students a grace period of three days during which parking tickets will not be given, starting the first day of classes. This year they will continue the practice, but will not show any more lenience than normal regarding parking violations after Wednesday.

“While we want to be compassionate, we are going to need everyone’s compliance to make sure that the parking lots and traffic flow are safe for everyone,” Ellison said.

A big concern for the ACU Police is how congestion in the parking lots might affect an emergency situation.

“These closures are going to require even increased enforcement to make sure that the parking lots are safe. We have to be extremely careful that – people don’t park wherever they can find a spot. All of a sudden you’re dealing with a parking lot you can’t get in or out of. If we had an emergency on campus, we can’t get emergency vehicles in or out of campus,” Ellison said.

While students are sure to become frustrated with fewer places to park, ACU Police are encouraging drivers to understand that everyone is feeling the same way about this temporary situation.

“The bottom line is it’s going to be a challenge, and everyone will have to be patient, and everyone will have to be compliant to make this work,” Ellison said.

“The biggest thing we’re trying to impress on everybody is that parking challenges occur on every university campus. This is not an ACU-only problem.”