The Blue Zone carpool lot is the most popular among students, but the carpool initiative has yet to curb every concern it set out to address.
The carpool lot-the first lot on the left-hand side of the Blue Zone, with the shortest walk to campus-was created to encourage undergraduates living off campus to use fewer vehicles. The lot was implemented this semester, and passes are free if at least four people register to carpool.
Students have currently registered for between 30 and 40 of the original 132 spaces set aside for the lot, said senior Sunny Kantha, Duke Student Government executive vice president, who started the carpooling initiative last Spring to address traffic congestion and environmental concerns.
Senior Sneha Mehta said the registration process for the carpool pass was simple. She mentioned that she has not had problems finding spots in the lot during afternoons and evenings, but has had difficulty parking in the morning.
Some students said they are dissatisfied with the available space and signage in the lot.
"The biggest issue is when every spot in the first lot of the Blue Zone is taken," senior Anand Sundaram said. "That is definitely something they need to fix.... I've noticed people without carpooling passes have parked in the carpooling spots."
He mentioned that he is unsure of whether or not students without passes ignored parking regulations or simply did not see the signs designating the carpool lot. Sundaram said he has already posted complaints and called the office of Parking and Transportation Services.
Kantha acknowledged that there are some problems with the initiative, saying it is still early in the school year and PTS is developing solutions for student demands.
"We're still working on making sure there are enough designated spots for carpoolers," he said. "PTS will address the carpool lot issues within the next week or week and a half."
Carpool spaces will be adjusted based on ongoing demand, said Parking Services Manager Chuck Landis.
He added that PTS has requested that Duke Police focus on enforcing regulations for the new carpool lot. He noted that additional signs will be added to make the carpool lot boundaries clearer.
"Our expectation is enforcement will be thorough to ensure carpool spaces remain available for intended users," Landis wrote in an e-mail. Mehta added that she believes carpooling has been convenient and less expensive than driving individually for her group thus far.
Landis said he is pleased about the increasing numbers of carpoolers as a result of the initiative.
"We are working with various campus groups on additional alternative programs for consideration and hope to continue the trend of reducing the number of single-occupant vehicles at Duke," he added.
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