The U Continues to Limit Parking as Students Form a Petition
Pay lot kiosk in the Union Parking Lot. (Chronicle archives)
September 18, 2019
The University of Utah has been eliminating centralized parking for the last five years. The centralized parking spaces that have since been eliminated allowed students to park in close proximity to their classrooms and provided them with less of a commute back to their vehicles. In fall 2018, almost 33,000 students were attending the U. As the student population will likely continue to increase, many are concerned about the issue of parking on campus.
“The parking spaces being removed are generally U spaces,” said C. Kinkade Darling, a master’s student studying finance and information systems. “These spaces are generally meant to house commuter vehicles. Our campus is predominantly a commuter campus. The reason students are increasingly concerned is that it affects them immediately.”
Parking passes are available for purchase from Commuter Services, where a U permit for the fall semester alone is $150. For the 2019-2020 academic school year, U permits are sold for $270, which is $10 more than in 2018. (Commuter services plans to increase the price of the pass by $10 every academic year.) U permits are sold for the remainder of the academic year at a prorated cost, and are only usable within U stalls and some specially designated A stalls after 3 p.m. Parking at the U is generally filled at peak times during the day, and U stalls have only become increasingly more difficult to find, leaving students, staff and visitors to circle campus until they are able to find a parking spot.
Many students have expressed their concerns with the U’s correspondence to their complaints on unfair penalties in response to supposed parking violations and have started a petition.
“I used to have a parking permit, but there is so much limited spacing,” said Tiffany Wimer, a senior at the U majoring in environmental and sustainability studies. “Having a permit appeared like a waste of money because I would have to park on upper campus and after I was able to find a parking spot, I would be late to class. And like many students after classes, I would go to work, but I work at the Law School, and it frightened me as a woman to walk back to my car late at night just because that was the only U parking available.”
“This is an important student issue for the fact that it does affect many of us who commute. Some of us take late courses. Many students feel unsafe walking campus late and if they have to walk nearly a mile to their vehicle late at night, it only causes unrest,” Darling said. “It’s also important for students to voice their opinions. This petition shows that we do care about what the University does with its property. We would only hope they take account of our concerns as well.”
The petition is currently gathering signatures in support of policy changes in student parking and fine distribution on the U campus.
Ciara • Mar 5, 2020 at 3:22 pm
Also as someone who has had A parking, they keep selling off A parking for reserved spots so even if you pay $650 a year for staff parking, you may not be able to find a spot.
CiaraLin • Mar 5, 2020 at 3:19 pm
I’m a new university student but I have worked in the medical complex for 5 years. I have been lucky enough to have A parking gifted to me through ARUP. I just had that taken away due to switching to nightshift. It makes no sense to me that the University is expanding not only campus but the medical complex yet they do not build more parking for University employees and patients. This situation doesn’t just make it hard on students but also on staff. The fact people you employ who help make money for the University have to pay a minimum of $270 a year is ridiculous.
The new medical complex by itself will introduce thousands of new patients and hundreds of new employees. The most economic decision would be to make a massive parking structure like the one in Ozone but taller and built for patients, staff and students.
If I want to make it to my class on time using UTA I will have to leave my house in the Avenues at least an hour earlier than normal. Given I get off work @0430 and have to be to my first class @1230, this can be a lot. If I want to leave my second home for UTA it will be two hours earlier. I spend 14 hrs a week on campus just for classes. 70 hours in a week for work. The problem I have is the University isn’t trying to be more green. They are trying to squeeze as much cash out of ALL of the people who are vital parts of their campus. Staff should not have to take money out of their paycheck to go to work and before you say anything about UTA I would like you to know before I lived in the Avenues, I lived in Emigration and guess what, UTA DOES NOT HAVE OPTIONS EVERYWHERE. I REPEAT UTA IS NOT EVERYWHERE.
Christian • Jan 27, 2020 at 2:59 pm
People are so desperate to find parking here that they’ll try to steal your parking spot as you’re backing into it. I just witnessed an idiot in a red Volvo try to do this to me, so I had to quickly maneuver in. Almost collided with me too. Gave me a hard stare before moving on. His behavior was uncalled for, but I believe the shortage is what’s causing this frantic desperation.
As an urban planning major, I am taught that parking is an evil necessity of a “sprawl” lifestyle, but when we are talking about a commuter campus where many drive. You can try to curb behavior by throttling the supply, but that will create a situation where people circulate to find parking. Take a look at SFPark in San Francisco where parking pricing is based on demand over time. People end up circling the block until someone leaves, which leads to unnecessary pollution and congestion, but is still a step forward in curbing behavior.
The U has so much funding and priorities I believe are misplaced. Have a small interesting idea that may or may not make a difference? Here’s a half a million dollars. Need less rigid chairs and more accessibility? Sorry you’re out of luck. Need parking but don’t have much space? Build a parking garage! Need more sustainability? Sorry we’re out of money. I’m calling bull on that one. Can’t afford tuition because tuition and student fees keep rising? Ha! Sucks to be you. Also, Please give the college of architecture and college of arts better buildings! They deserve it plus all the love they can get.
Michaella Valenzuela • Dec 5, 2019 at 12:05 pm
The petition linked to is nothing more than a draft on google docs for UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY, and seems to have nothing to do with the U?
Brandon • Oct 4, 2019 at 2:30 pm
Dear Brandon,
I do not work for commuter services, I’ve just educated myself while trying to brainstorm solutions to this problem. As I stated, “I know this will not work for every university student, staff or faculty member, but I do know it will work for the vast majority.” If your circumstances make you an exception, then congratulations- you can sit down. This doesn’t apply to you. However, I would encourage you to consider the possibility that if the people who this did apply to would consider utilizing the services I mentioned, there might just be less traffic and more parking for people like yourself! I find it interesting that you would make assumptions about my habits and status while simultaneously advising I do not do so for others (I also find it interesting that you think I made assumptions about anyone’s habits at all, in fact). As far as leading by example, I happen to be a non-traditional graduate student who takes public transit every day.
I think we would all like to see improvement here. I’d just hate to see it come at the cost of more traffic and more air pollution. We’re all on the same team.
Stenar • Sep 23, 2019 at 9:18 pm
Take the damn train.
Brandon • Sep 23, 2019 at 11:27 am
Brynne- Do you work for commuter services? Sounds like it. It would take me 1 hour and 20 minutes to get to the U from where I live, West Bountiful, using public transportation, and the same time to return home. It takes me 25 minutes using my car. I have a wife and two kids, and those 2 extra hours to spend time with them is invaluable. Maybe you should not speak for everyone when you don’t understand everyone’s personal situation. 1/2 of U students are non-traditional students, and almost all graduate students are. Public transportation is not a feasible solution for a lot of students. It’s great that it is good option for you, but don’t push your agenda on everyone else when you obviously don’t consider other’s predicaments. You should focus on leading by example, and not with your unfounded words.
Brynne • Sep 20, 2019 at 8:29 am
There are so many options for those facing parking issues that do NOT involve making it more convenient to DRIVE as opposed to opt for more sustainable transportation options that decrease overall traffic and congestion on campus.
First, every degree-seeking student and faculty at the U of U receives a UTA pass as part of their tuition. While I know that some with late classes may not always have a bus/rail option available, the times during which parking is least accessible are not affected by these limitations.
For those taking late classes or working late, especially if only once or twice a week, did you know you can buy an evening A permit (after 4 pm) that allows you to park in virtually any space (except reserved spaces) for $4 a night? For many people, this might be cost saving compared to buying a semester-long pass, while simultaneously encouraging you to use public transit during the busier hours when the pass is not valid.
There are multiple services available for those who need to walk long distances to their car, especially late at night, to mitigate safety concerns. The campus police provide a safety escort services (they can be reached for such non-emergency services at 801-585-COPS).
Hate cops? Understandable! The good news is is that there is also a SafeRide program implemented by commuter services that operates from 6am – 12:30am that offer free rides within the U campus. They can be reached at 801-581-6415 during regular business hours or 801-231-9058 after 6 p.m. However, they do not service research park.
If you are in Research Park, though, don’t worry- there is hope for you yet! The Hospital On-Demand shuttle DOES service this area at night, and can either get you to your destination, or to another destination serviced by other ride options.
As we deal with parking on campus, PLEASE let us think of more sustainable options that minimize traffic and improve our air quality. There are SO many services offered to incentivize public transit and shuttle usage. Reducing parking and increasing its accessibility will only increase traffic and congestion on campus and worsen the Salt Lake Valley’s record-settingly dismal air quality. I know these options will not work for EVERY University Student, staff and faculty member, but I also know they WILL work for a VAST majority. Additionally, UTA and the University monitor utilization of public transit (hence the tap-on/tap-off policy) and alter services to better serve the U population. As demand and utilization increase, there will be further pressure on UTA to increase its services to make it even more convenient.
You’re already paying for all of this in your tuition. Why not make maximal use of what you’re already paying for? Join the public transit club. All the people who give a sh*t about our planet, our road conditions, our lungs and our future are doing it. (Looking @ you, environmental studies and sustainability major. SMH. You should know better). I know it may not be as “convenient” or “American” to use public transit, but hey- you might learn to love your new routine. Think of all the things you could do with all your time spent NOT driving, like listening to podcasts, learning another language on DuoLingo, sliding into ur crush’s DMs, catching up on HW (or zzz’s), or hey- maybe even making petitions for things that will actually make a positive impact on campus/SLC, to name a few.
xoxo
Jobee • Sep 19, 2019 at 12:42 pm
It’s impossible to park. It gets really frustrating driving around for a half hour trying to find parking.