The dreaded trek to the parking lot will probably be even longer for many student drivers next semester.

An estimated 300 to 400 student parking spaces from Lot 80 will be moved to a different, likely farther-away location next fall, said Doug Holmes, assistant director for parking.

Parking at Lot 80 will be lost due to construction on the new agricultural sub-campus being built on the existing lot.

Holmes said the number of spaces available to students will not be affected, only their location. He said the university is currently weighing options as to where the new lot or lots will be, but he would not discuss which specific locations are being considered.

Faculty and staff parking will be relocated as well, some being moved to the Eisenhower parking deck and others to the Stadium West Lot.

Holmes said the possibility of building parking decks near the existing Lot 80 was considered. Though this option might have been more convenient for students, he said the choice to relocate the lots was more favorable because it was the most expedient and cost effective option.

Building new parking decks instead of moving the lot to an existing space on campus would cause the price of parking passes to increase dramatically, Holmes said.

Though some students may prefer to pay more for passes rather than travel the extra distance to the relocated lots, Holmes said the university's goal is to keep costs low.

"We've always tried to balance the convenience against the costs and we've always erred on the side of cost," Holmes said.

However, moving the lot to a more distant location may pose problems beyond convenience.

The university is considering options on how to transport students from these new lots to campus. Holmes said re-routing the Loop or adding more Loop buses are possibilities, depending on the location of the new lot or lots.

The Centre Area Transportation Authority is in discussions with the university about these options and the possibility of adding a new Loop stop at the Stadium West Lot, said Eric Bernier, director of services and development for CATA.

Undergraduate Student Government President Justin Zartman is concerned about the safety of these proposed new lots.

"How are students going to get back from these remote parking lots late at night?" Zartman said. "If we are putting students in danger, then that's a problem."

Some students are upset about the possibility of having to travel even farther to get to their cars.

Katy Poux (senior-journalism) parks in Lot 80 and does not agree with the relocation plan.

"Parking is horrendous already. The fact that it's going to get even worse is terrible," she said.

Devon Malachosky (sophomore-information, sciences and technology) parks in The Bryce Jordan Center parking lot and is unhappy with the parking situation at Penn State in general.

"There's no parking in State College. This town is just not big enough for all of us," she said. "It's such a pain. I live 10 minutes away, but I have to leave my house 45 minutes ahead of time."