Major construction projects at SMU, coinciding with limited access to parking, have left students frustrated. Between orange cones, chain-link fences, and construction crews, parking on or close to campus has become a daily scavenger hunt.
Students’ frustration over the noise and disruption highlights a broader concern on campus this fall: the balance between long-term improvements and short-term inconvenience.
With multiple projects underway to expand SMU’s facilities, parking and quiet study spaces have become harder to find, fueling complaints and prompting questions about how the university will manage campus life during the construction boom.
“Well, it’s clear that SMU is looking to invest a lot of money into improving the institution, loud noises on campus can be somewhat disruptive to classroom progression,” said Emeka Ezenwugo, an SMU junior who lives on campus. “While I understand that it may be somewhat absurd to simply stop construction, I think the school can potentially explore different options for alternative construction time slots.”
This semester, parking frustrations have collided with three major construction projects, each reshaping the way students navigate campus.
New traffic light intersection at University Boulevard and Airline Road
The newest intersection on campus, located near the sorority houses, has caused issues for commuters, making their arrival time later than intended. However, the purpose of the intersection was for safety.
“That was [made] due to safety concerns from faculty, staff and students over many years of having some problems of people getting either hit by cars or close calls,” Michael Molina, Vice President of SMU’s Office of Facilities Planning and Management (OFPM) and University Architect, said. “It’s working great right now. It’s a little bit different, but it is much more safe.”
In-progress intersection on Daniel Avenue and Hillcrest Avenue
Molina explained that SMU’s OFPM has a strong relationship with University Park, working together on construction projects. One of the collaborative sites is an intersection that is currently a work in progress. It’s located on Daniel and Hillcrest, near Snider Plaza and features a large SMU pony logo on the concrete.
“We did the artwork for the pony out of this office. And so it was just fun, collaborative work,” Molina said. “We have a really strong working relationship with University Park. It should be [completed] within the next 10 or 14 days.”
The Rees-Jones library
The Rees-Jones library, which sits right next to Fondren library, is scheduled for completion in either January or February of 2027. In the meantime, the construction has brought back blue fences and heavy equipment around Fondren Library.
This newest addition on campus is just one of many projects changing the look of SMU. Molina said SMU has taken on a wave of building and renovation work in the past year.
“Last September, under Dr Turner’s completion of his presidency, SMU executed and completed the largest capital project completion period in the history of SMU, within a 30-day period,” Molina said. “Weber, Cox, Smith-Perkins; the count is about 286 small projects throughout the campus. So, pretty amazing effort.”
Construction headaches aren’t the only issue. Parking has also turned into a daily frustration for students, making their routines harder to manage.
“If I get here any time later than, like, 9:30 a.m., it’s already really hard to find a spot in any of my designated garages,” Emma Bates, an SMU senior, said. “And then I’m having to park illegally in order to get to class on time, and then I’m getting ticketed for it, which I think is unfair.”
SMU has seven parking centers, but students can park only in certain garages based on their permit type. On top of that, they are restricted to specific levels, further reducing the number of available spaces.
“I think they should definitely open up more garages to commuters,” Bates said.
Brian Pierce, the director of parking and ID card services, said SMU is always working to ensure parking and transportation remain accessible and responsive to the community’s evolving needs.
SMU has made efforts in the past to ease parking issues by adding additional parking capacity and expanding the free SMU Express Shuttle to serve more locations on campus and in overflow parking.
There are also other alternatives for students struggling with parking.
“Another solution is to use the underutilized W6 lot on the East campus, which connects directly to campus via the free and convenient SMU Express Shuttle,” Pierce said.
Students can also park for free at Mockingbird Station and take the Express Shuttle to campus or use their DART transit passes.
Although alternatives exist, they require students to plan and organize their schedules to make it on time to their classes.
Regarding parking issues, Molina said, “We know we have to do something. We can’t do nothing. And the administration is very aware of that.”
