It’s not unusual to expect parking traffic and delays, especially at the start of the school year. But, some students have noticed that this year is a bit different from others, with longer parking lines, accidents in the lots and even opting for off-campus parking.

“This year is definitely a lot more chaotic,” said Melanie Lopez, a second-year sociology major. “I’ve seen two different crashes in the parking structure where students hit someone else’s car and just drive off and park somewhere else.”

Miranda Bates, the director of campus communication, says enrollment at the college has grown since last year, and although there are more students, the college remains equipped with adequate parking.

“Our Campus Safety Office recently conducted a parking study and concluded that we have plenty of space for students to park,” said Bates in an email to The Hornet. “There are currently eight student parking locations.”

Although Bates says the college has adequate parking to accommodate everyone, students such as Lopez have opted to park off-campus to avoid waiting for parking and the risk of being late to class.

“It gets pretty frustrating. I was expecting it to be packed, but not this chaotic,” said Lopez. “ Anytime before 3:30 is hectic, and finding parking later at night is a bit easier but still very packed.”

Students can find all eight available parking lots and structures on the Campus Safety Department’s website under their interactive online campus map. Campus Safety is allowing students a two-week grace period where permits will not be enforced in student lots. The grace period ends Sept. 8.

Campus Safety officials did not immediately respond for comment.