With more than 1,400 parking spaces and five levels, Cain Garage opens Monday

From The Battalion

By Brooklyn Figueiredo

Published October 9, 2016

Photo by Leah Kappayil

Cain Garage, which was built on the lot where Cain Hall once stood, will offer new navigational technology, which intends to allow for easier and more efficient parking. Cain Garage is accessible for all students and visitors and hopes to help ease campus congestion on game days and other high-profile campus events.

Peter Lange, associate vice president for Transportation Services said the new garage is different than the other existing garages on campus both inside and out, and serves as a new model for future buildings and garages to come.

“The exterior of the facility is designed to complement the surrounding campus infrastructure, including the picturesque Memorial Student Center,” Lange said. “A combination of materials, including brick, burnished black, aluminum panels and stainless steel mesh was used in the construction of the exterior facade.”

Lange said Cain Garage will operate with individual space occupancy sensors and lights hanging above each parking space. Open spaces will be marked with a green light, and occupied spaces will be marked with a red light. Another new technology being introduced in the garage is the method of payment, Lange said.

“For payment, this garage also allows visitors to swipe a credit card to enter and again at exit to make payment. This saves printing and keeping up with a ticket,” Lange said. “Traditional payment options such as pay stations and cashiers are still available.”

The construction of Cain Garage aims to alleviate some of the overflow from other garages like West Campus, and also help offset the growing demand for parking due to over enrollment and student population, Lange said.

“[A permit costs] $471 per year, which is prorated weekly,” Lange said. “The prorated price when it opens next week will be $423.”

Brianna Benton, political science freshman, said having a new parking garage will hopefully help out with the current difficulty of parking on campus.

“I live on campus so I’m hoping that having a new garage will alleviate some of the parking pressure of West Campus garage where I park,” Benton said.

Olivia Wilkerson, political science sophomore who currently parks in Lot 100, said the opening of the new garage and the convenience it will bring will be the reason she parks there instead next year.

“I live off campus, but I’m always at the MSC studying, now Cain is going to make it super convenient for me to park so close,” Wilkerson said.

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