In October, journalism professor Kathryn Kuttis asked 300 of her J100 students to tweet about parking at the University of Oregon as a way of allowing them to express their concerns with the system.
Using the hashtag #ipayforitbuthey, students revealed their frustrations with parking at the university, bringing up the lack of available parking spaces and the high cost of parking meters.
“I wanted to give them a voice,” Kuttis said.
Kuttis, who pays three to four hundred dollars a year for her parking pass, has had her own negative experiences with parking. She received a ticket for not displaying her pass in her car and hasn’t been notified through e-mail of events held by the university that interfere with finding a parking spot said.
“As a communications professor, it’s important,” Kuttis said of the lack of notifications.
According to Gwendolyn Bolden, Director of Parking and Transportation, the university has about 4,100 parking spots, but has lost some due to the ongoing construction taking place on campus. However, the spaces are expected to be replaced before the next large scale construction project. Bolden also believes that parking conditions have improved since last year.
“We have more users following the rules, so parking is writing less citations and selling more parking permits. We will continue to seek out alternative forms of transportation,” Bolden said.
Bolden confirmed that there have been complaints about not enough parking spaces on campus. However, she also stated that the university will replace parking along the perimeter of campus and not in the center.
In regards to complaints about Parking and Transportation’s lack of communication about upcoming events, Bolden stated that all upcoming events that have the potential to affect parking are listed on the department’s website. Advanced notices are also places at the entrance of the area being affected.
Like Kathryn Kuttis, School of Journalism and Communication intern Karly Tarsia is frustrated by on-campus parking. Though Tarsia bought a parking pass in order to have easy access to the building she works in, she hasn’t been able to find any open parking spots in her designated lot.
Bolden said that Parking and Transportation is working to improve the system by partnering with regional transit and is looking to “enhance the alternative transportation options” such as car share, bike share and EMX buses.
According to Tarsia, when she went to the Parking and Transportation office she was told that there wasn’t anything they could do. She was also told to park in a lot four blocks away from where she works and to take the EMX to work.
“If I am paying for a permit I should have a spot, no questions asked,” Tarsia said. “The fact [that] I don’t and have to move my car every two hours to find parking is unreal.”