New options available for parking-permit holders

Transportation Services is making adjustments to its new hang-tag parking permit system to help customers adapt to some of the changes.

In the past, Transportation Services issued multiple permit stickers to customers with more than one vehicle, a practice which it says was difficult to manage. There are only slightly more than 12,000 parking stalls on campus – far less than what is needed, given the nearly 20,000 employees, and thousands of students and annual visitors.

For the 2003-04 academic year, hang tags were implemented so that customers could easily transfer the permits between vehicles while ensuring that only one vehicle per permit is parked on campus.

Though the change resulted in numerous inquiries from customers who disapproved or questioned the rationale of the new system, Lance Lunsway, Transportation Services director, points out that his office has been able to issue close to 1,400 more permits than at this time last year.

“This means that those on waiting lists will have a much better chance of being offered annual parking and suggests that the one-permit system is playing an important role in balancing parking availability and demand,” he says.

To help customers with multiple vehicles adapt to the new system, Lunsway says his office will give customers who forget their hang tags up to two free daily permits throughout the 2003-04 parking year. In addition, any customers who plan to use only one vehicle may exchange their hangtag for a single sticker. Motorcycle stickers will be available to permit holders who drive a motorcycle to campus.

The new stickers are available at the Transportation Services office in Room 124 of the WARF Building.