The U reintroduced a parking permit solely for housing residents this year.
Alma Allred, director at Commuter Services on campus, said the pass was last in use 18 years ago, but was revived after discussions with Housing and Residential Education.
This permit, which has two versions, is available for all students living on campus and can be purchased online. The Housing U pass is priced at the same rate of the normal U parking pass at $220, while the Housing E pass is $175 ($45 more than the normal E pass). The permit, registered to your license plate, forgoes the traditional paper pass.
For the first couple of weeks on campus, officers will only issue warnings for those without the correct parking pass near the dorms. Allred said this is because incoming freshmen and returning students might be confused as to where they are allowed to park.
“Contrary to popular belief, our [officers] aren’t on commission,” Allred said.
Bailey Zupan, a junior in exercise science, said he’s angry about a series of tickets he was issued in the housing parking area.
“It’s almost comical … that no one else is getting ticketed,” he said.
For students like Zupan with objections over parking violations or in need of exceptions, Melissa Johnson with Commuter Services advises appealing the ticket online or in-person.
“We only want people to receive tickets if they are disregarding the policies,” Johnson said.
Alex Gabriel, a junior, is more concerned about finding a place to park. With limited space, many students just leave their cars in the stalls as much as possible.
“Unless I miss a bus, l leave my car there,” Gabriel said.
Though not feasible for all students, Commuter Services encourages other alternatives to parking on campus, such as riding TRAX or walking. The U spends $10.5 million on its UTA transportation agreement each year, which allows students to ride for free.
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