Any time U students face a price increase, the decision is bound to be unpopular.
Last week the Board of Trustees unanimously approved a plan to increase parking permit fees by 10 percent. With gas prices on the rise, the Utah Transit Authority has been forced to increase both bus and TRAX fares to offset fuel costs.
Since U students receive a discounted UTA pass, which is paid for with student fees, money had to be found somewhere to make up the difference of the added fuel charge. Because the student transportation fee cannot be increased until next year’s fee increases are approved by the Trustees and the State Board of Regents, the Trustees agreed to raise the parking permit price.
Paying this marginally higher parking fee is worth the benefits U students receive in return. Even with the 10 percent increase, a U-pass is still almost $20 less than what you would pay for a similar parking pass at Utah State University, and USU students do not get anything comparable to the UTA pass to make up for it.
Aside from cost, paying a slightly higher price for parking is a good incentive to use cleaner modes of transportation, such as TRAX. Taking advantage of TRAX, which students can ride free of charge, is a great way for students to save money and help the environment. Many students already reap the benefit of TRAX and have no need to park a car on campus. Much of the U’s campus is occupied by many parking lots-space that could be better used for academic buildings.
Although it is not easy to accept higher prices, the added parking cost is still a good bargain, considering the mass transit options for which it is paying. We hope the Trustees will continue to support proposals that encourage students to ditch their cars and utilize cleaner transportation.