With construction throwing a wrench in University parking, on-campus spots grow increasingly rare and make tickets a leering problem for students and faculty.
As of last summer, 1,044 parking spaces were available to students on campus, Department of Public Safety officer Herb Horner said. However, this number has recently been reduced as construction continues on campus.
“We had to close lot 15 this year because of construction,” Horner said. “The faculty members that used those spots are now competing with students for parking.”
Construction required the University to sacrifice 220 parking spots along the West University area. However, by next summer students and faculty should gain access to the lost parking spaces and 155 new parking spots, Horner said.
Until then, University senior Sarah Christ will remain frustrated with the parking situation on campus.
“It seems every time I return to campus, there’s less parking,” said Christ, who received more than 20 campus parking tickets last year. “I’ve never petitioned my tickets, as it just seems like a lot of work. Plus, I’ve had people tell me that they’ve petitioned and it didn’t really get them anywhere.”

Each year, 1,100 tickets are petitioned, Horner said. Although he declined to estimate the number of tickets filed during the year, Horner said the number petitioned is a relatively small portion compared with the total number of tickets given.
Tickets range in cost from $17 to $345,and any action, including paying or petitioning, must be taken within 10 days of the citation date. However, Horner said if the cited person has a legitimate reason why he or she is late in taking action, this deadline is sometimes extended.
“I’ll always try and give the student the benefit of the doubt,” Horner said. “As long as the excuse is reasonable and just not ‘I forgot.’”
The Parking and Bicycle Citation Petition form is located online at the DPS home page and on campus at DPS’ headquarters, Horner said. Petitioners must personally deliver all documents to the DPS office because proof of identification and a signature are required in order to file the petition. Beyond this, Horner said students are not expected to provide any information because the officer who initially issued the citation is responsible for providing all necessary data. The most important part students play, Horner said, is how they present their side of the story.
“Some people just get mad,” Horner said as he replayed a phone message left earlier in the week by a petitioner. For Horner, the message, which was peppered with expletives, does little to “promote (the fined person’s) case.”
On the citation petition form, nine lines are designated for petitioners to provide their perspective. A face-to-face interview with the petition officer is also an option, Horner said. Although the petitioner will not be given a definitive answer at the interview, it gives petitioners the opportunity to verbally explain and defend themselves, Horner said. The results of petitioning could be dismissing the case completely, reducing the charge, or affirming the ticket.
“If the ticket is petitioned and the person is still not satisfied with the decision, they can request to go in front of the appeals board. The decision of the board is final,” Horner said. “We don’t get a lot of appeals.”
Student Advocacy Director Hilary Berkman works with students who wish to file a petition or who request appeals. The Student Advocacy Office offers consultations where students can clarify why they believe their request should be successful.
“Usually during the process of going over the form, the student will realize that he or she made a mistake,” Berkman said. “It’s all about helping the student take responsibility and trying to figure out what’s best to do in any situation.”
In her experience as a student, however, Christ said it sometimes seems that the officers are the ones being “hasty” with handing out fines.
“I’ve gotten tickets for expired meters when I know I put in enough money and that the meter only expired a few minutes early,” Christ said. “I think officers sometimes give out tickets for ridiculous reasons.”
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