As the fall season rolls back around, so do the wheels of
many University drivers, thus reigniting the tribulations of
University parking.
The price of parking permits
has risen and the number of parking spots has remained roughly the same, according to the Department of Public Safety.
Unearthing a parking spot on campus has never been an easy task for University students, and this year marks no exception.
DPS is likely to issue between 6,500 and 7,000 parking permits this year to students, faculty and staff, but the University only hosts 3,300 spots, 1,500 of which are available to students.
Daytime parking permits will cost $94 for the academic year, while overnight permits are priced at $92 per term. These prices reflect a 3.5 percent increase from last year, DPS Parking and Transportation Manager Rand Stamm said.
“We make the prices more
expensive to discourage students from driving,” Stamm said.
“Price increases are also a result
of inflation.”
Many students find that the price of their parking permit marks the beginning of a year-long encounter with parking expenses. Between 24,000 and 40,000 parking citations are given each year on campus.
Stamm offers advice on how to avoid violating the University’s parking rules.
“Don’t bring your car,” he said. “I can say from personal experience that you don’t have to.”
Gerry Gaydos, who represents central and west Eugene as a member of the Lane Transit District Board of Directors, agrees.
“The city has invested a lot of time and money in bike lanes and bus programs, and I hope students will take advantage,” Gaydos said.
Gaydos said alternative
transportation will only get
easier and more convenient with the implementation of the
Bus Rapid Transit System, a
project that strives to supply busses with their own lane, signal priority and a more efficient
loading system. The first phase of the Bus Rapid Transit System will open in 2006.
Nonetheless, if you receive a parking ticket, you may submit a petition to DPS, which will relay your petition to the Traffic
Petitions Office for review. Sixty percent of all citations appealed get reduced or waived.
For students who rarely
bring their wheels to campus, a one-day parking permit can
be purchased for $2 at the DPS station located at 1319 East 15th Ave. or at the Information Kiosk located on Beech Street and East 13th Avenue.
“Mostly, it’s faculty and
staff that purchase one-day permits, because many students
don’t know about them,” said Evan Lally, a student employee at the kiosk.
While campus parking remains tight, the University entertains the notion of constructing a new parking lot. The lot would cost between $9 and $12 million and would create about 800 new spots, Stamm said.
“Those who drive to campus won’t necessarily have an
easier time finding parking,” he said. “A new parking lot means even more drivers.”

Jesse Dungan is a freelance reporter
for the Emerald.