On March 11, Associate Dean Lauri Sidelko released an email to inform the University of Maine community about impending changes to the North Campus parking area. According to the email, construction on the Morse Arena would temporarily reduce the number of parking spaces available to commuter students, especially in the north gym lot. As part of the construction, all remaining parking spaces near the football field and along the north side of Long Road were removed and a fence was installed along the construction site. To offset the impact, 151 residential spots are being converted to commuter parking in the interim.
In an effort to accommodate needs during construction, alternative transportation options including the Black Bear Orono Express and the Community Connector were listed as options available to students in the email sent by Dean Sidelko. Additional commuter parking lot options were also listed for students impacted by the change.
According to Executive Director of Communications David Nordman, there are typically about 6,710 parking spots on campus. Due to the construction, this number has been reduced to 6,560, though Nordman clarified that “capacity is expected to return to pre-construction levels (6,710) by Fall 2026 as lots such as Wells, Dunn and Corbett are redesigned.”
Nordman offered insight through email into the reasoning behind the decision to temporarily convert residential parking spots into commuter ones, explaining that many residential spots are not currently being used.
“Permits are sold on a rolling basis and the demand for parking changes throughout the year. In fact, most recent parking data shows 200 to 300 open resident (red) spaces nightly, which informed the temporary reallocation,” wrote Nordman in an email. He added that the reallocated spots are located in the steam plant, Bridge tennis courts and CCA Lots.
Students who were asked about these changes highlighted the importance of having accessibility to different campus locations. Eli Woehrle, a second-year wildlife ecology student and owner of a residential parking pass, said that he was not aware of the changes to parking and that the location of parking spots has been an issue for him in the past.
“I think that if the campus wants to reduce parking in any way, then it needs to expand public transportation options,” said Woehrle. “I haven’t had issues finding any parking at all on campus, but I have had issues with finding reasonably distanced spots.”
Aidan Coulombe, a second-year wildlife ecology and economics student, and owner of a commuter parking pass, said that finding parking has occasionally been an issue for him.
“I do not have an opinion on parking changes, other than there should be more available commuter parking lots and spaces,” said Coulombe. He added that he has heard other students expressing the same opinion.
Nordman stressed the temporary nature of these actions, and added that ultimately, the goal is to improve parking for the UMaine community.
“The university communicated these changes to all students via email prior to spring break, outlining lot closures and alternative parking. Additional outreach included signage in parking areas and residence halls, website updates and direct communication from Facilities Management and Student Life,” said Nordman.
Nordman wrote that efforts are being made to prevent citations for students unaware of parking changes. He also noted parking capacity will return to normal pre-construction levels by the fall.
“Staff are also contacting red permit holders parking in newly designated black sections to help them avoid citations,” said Nordman. “While construction will temporarily affect parking, total capacity is expected to return to pre-construction levels by Fall 2026 and parking will be enhanced to promote driver and pedestrian safety and accessibility.”
