Tina Spencer has a couple of words of advice for those employees parking in the new employee parking structure: Drive slow.
“The structure is a wonderful new facility for UNMC, UMA and NHS employees,” said Spencer, the manager of Parking and Cashiering Services. “The employees need to be cautious and courteous to other drivers and pedestrians, however, so that collisions and accidents are avoided.”
At least one accident has been reported in the new structure, and several employees have reported that some drivers are traveling too fast in the structure. Speeds shouldn’t reach more than 5 mph in the structure, Spencer said.
“As with all parking garages, there are cars constantly backing out of stalls and people walking between cars to get to their vehicles,” Spencer said. “If other drivers are speeding around corners or flying down the length of the garage, there’s a potential for serious accidents and injuries.”
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Don Dickmeyer, the project manager for the parking structure, said that a few parking stalls have been removed on Levels B, C and D so that drivers can access the ramps, without going the full length of the structure. This should cut down on speeding, Dickmeyer said.
“Drivers using the access points still need to use caution, as it can be difficult for them to see oncoming traffic, and for the oncoming traffic to see them,” Dickmeyer said. “The key to all of this is to travel at slow speeds and to use courtesy.”
Spencer said that placing speed bumps in the garage would be a last resort. Speed bumps are the top complaint of those employees who use the Clarkson parking garage at 42nd and Dewey.
“We don’t want to put speed bumps in the garage, and we shouldn’t need to place a bunch of signs in the garage, either,” Spencer said. “We all need to be aware of how fast we’re traveling and of all the other users of the garage. Safety should be the first concern.”