Making life easy
With an increasing number of vehicles driving throughout campus, transportation can be a problem. Parking and Transportation Services at Utah State have made changes to try and ease the hassle of getting around campus.
New to Utah State this year is a color coded parking system. Lisa Leishman, director of Parking and Transportation Services, said the new system is designed to make it easier for students to know which parking area in which they are allowed to park.
“The old system didn’t make sense,” she said. “For example, this year the economy parking passes are now Yellow permits.”
For students living off-campus they have three parking permit options. They may purchase an Aggie Terrace permit which allows parking in the Aggie Terrace, a Yellow permit which allows parking at the Stadium and below Old Main Hill and a Student Blue permit which allows parking in the central campus area.
Parking regulations states that parking permits are required Monday through Friday during the hours posted in each parking area. All vehicles parking on campus must display a valid parking permit. Permits do not guarantee a place to park. To be valid, parking regulations say a permit must be clearly visible and hang from the inside rear view mirror of the vehicle. Permits can be purchased at the Transportation and Services building or online at their Web site.
However, Leishman said students need to be aware that parking permits have increased four percent from the previous school year and will continue to increase four percent each academic year.
Another option for students who wish to ease the hassle of transportation on campus is to ride the Aggie Shuttle. The shuttle has four routes each day and Shuttle Supervisor Alden Erickson said the bus is an easy way for students to travel around campus.
“You don’t have to hunt for a place to park when you ride the bus,” Erickson said. “The bus makes it much more convenient for you.”
Erickson said the shuttle will continue routes to and from the stadium, the Brigham City campus, 800 East and South Campus. Erickson said one thing that will be different this year is South Campus will have two buses run instead of the previous one bus.
Aggie Shuttle also offers charter buses for rent. Erickson said the rate is $45 per hour for driving time and one dollar per mile. These rates include driver fees and fuel costs but must have a two hour minimum.
Aggie Shuttle also uses nine natural gas buses in an effort to be environmentally friendly, Erickson said.
“We are doing our part to be green,” Erickson said. “We are doing our part to make campus a more environmentally friendly place.”
Erickson said if students have questions on bus routes, bus times or charter services to check out the Web site at aggiebus.com.
Motorcycle and mo-ped parking areas are also available throughout campus. Motorcycles must have permits and park only in their designated areas. Motorcycles may not use automobile parking spaces except at paid meters and are not allowed in the Parking Terrace. Leishman said motorcycles parking in the terrace creates a safety concern. She said the motorcycles are not heavy enough to activate the gates. However, the Aggie Terrace uses different sensors which make it available for motorcycles to park in.
If ever issued a citation, Leishman said the ticket may be taken care of in different ways. She said students may pay for a citation at Parking and Transportation services, just north of the stadium. There is also the option of paying for the ticket online or by using the yellow envelope which the citation was issued in and mail the ticket.
Leishman said if students feel they were unjustly issued a citation, there is the option to appeal the ticket. To appeal, students may come to the parking office or fill out a form on the parking and transportation Web site. The citation must be appealed fourteen calendar days from the date it was issued.
For more information concerning permits, parking areas, citations and Aggie Shuttle check out www.parking.usu.edu
Courtnie.packer@aggiemail.usu.edu