Parking fee increase may be a possibility
A rate increase for parking permits could take place as soon as Fall Semester 2002, said Mike Monson, Resident Hall Student Association student representative for the Parking and Transportation Services Committee, on Tuesday.
“The parking issue is more about being educated about the situation than anything,” Monson said.
Walker Parking Consultants did an assessment of Utah State University last April, and said USU will need 300 more spots in the next five to 10 years and suggested building a parking terrace where the heat plant is now to provide the extra spaces needed, Monson said.
“In order to fund the terrace, the Parking Services Committee has proposed to increase rates for parking permits for all B lots,” Monson said.
Parking Services cannot increase rates if the Parking Advisory Committee does not know what to do with the revenue earned, however, he said.
Monson said the location of the new recreation center is the main problem.
“If USU builds a parking terrace where the heat plant is and USU locates the new recreation center on the other side of campus, the new parking terrace would not be efficient.”
Monson said with a rate increase in the B lots students are most-likely to use the economy parking lots and ride the shuttle to campus instead of paying the extra money.
“I am proposing to use the revenue earned towards a better shuttle system,” Monson said.
Monson said the money should be used to provide new routes for shuttles that go into apartment complex parking lots, routes that will take students to various parts of campus and for repairing shuttles so they run better happen instead of the new parking terrace for now, he said.
“Putting the money towards a better shuttle system will give students a better value for their dollar,” he said.
Parking Advisory Committee member, Steve Mecham, USU chief of police, said, “It’s hard to say how much rates will increase. Not only will parking rates increase, but tuition is going up, and we are keeping that in mind.”
During the previous meeting on Jan. 23, the Parking and Transportation Advisory Committee passed a bill for residents in Merrill Hall to have parking spots in the B lot across the highway because the new engineering building is being built over their lot.
In the near future the committee will be voting on other parking issues. Some of the issues will be to not allow students who live off campus to purchase lot B parking permits.
“I am not for this proposal because the students who fill these lots are mainly students who live off campus,” Monson said.
The parking committee will also vote on a new parking violations pay schedule. The committee wants to take away the discount rate on paying a violation on the same day it was received.
Monson said there are a lot of issues that need to be discussed.
He said, “I feel I have a voice in the committee, he said. I’ve worked with the parking committee for three years, so I know what the issues are.
“Hopefully the Parking Advisory Committee will vote on these issues and others soon because we are running out of time,” Monson said.
A Parking and Transportation Advisory Committee meeting will be held Tuesday, at 3 p.m. in Bullen Hall, Room 108.