OPINION: USU Parking hurts students instead of helping
Eager to take a morning workout class, I registered without imagining the struggle it would be just to get to class. Instead of looking forward to the benefits of exercise, I often stressed over where I would park and if I would end up paying more in parking tickets than I did for the class credits.
After receiving a ticket at 6:15 a.m., forced to pay a nearly $30 ticket, I submitted an appeal to USU Parking. Their response was to park down by the stadium and walk up to class. That same day, three people in my class had brought pepper spray with them out of fear of what might happen walking to class alone.
Not only is it cold and dark at 6:30 in the morning, but it can be dangerous for anyone to walk alone, especially women. I’d take my chances parking in the empty lot across from the HPER, only to receive another ticket.
If classes are offered on campus early in the morning and I am forced to park a significant distance away, shouldn’t I at least have the option of taking the Aggie Shuttle? Unfortunately for students, the shuttle doesn’t run until 7 a.m.
To add to the nonsense, the Blue Lot has a flashing sign at the entrance saying “24 HOURS.” However, when you text the number to pay for a spot, it says, “Parking is available from 7am-9:30pm. Please come back to start your parking session during those hours!” Yet, I received a ticket at 6:15 when I was physically unable to pay for the spot.
This year, parking passes for students range from $114 to $289 for the year. The prices increase each year without improvements, at least known to the general public, to parking issues. The hike in prices leaves patrons wondering what the fees go towards: helping students gain access to campus, or adding a bonus to someone’s year-end paycheck?
While USU Parking more than doubled the cost of parking tickets since last year, other universities offer alternative solutions to help students help the community.
New Mexico State University students can either pay the ticket or give back to a local food pantry with donations. The University of Texas at Austin has an official Food for Fines program, allowing donations of beans and rice to go to other students in need. The University of Tennessee Knoxville accepts five full-sized non-perishables in exchange for one parking ticket.
Other universities are also adjusting to students’ needs by keeping lots open outside of business hours. There are reserved lots and parking passes for a reason. What is difficult to understand is why they require students to pay late at night or early in the morning when the lots are frequently empty.
“I work for the University and USUSA. I plan the events,” said Ashlynn Smith, traditions director. “I basically live at the TSC, and there’s no option for me to have a parking pass. I don’t live near campus so it’s weird to expect me to pay $10 a day to do a service for the university and then get ticketed for it.”
Weber State University offers free parking outside of 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. BYU provides free parking to full-time employees, something USU doesn’t offer to its faculty.
“Out-of-state tuition is $36,000. Tell me why I have to spend $125 for a piece of paper that allows me to park in my parking lot in my apartment which I already paid $2,500 for as well,” student Kaitlyn McConkie said.
Fees are too high, tickets are given too frequently and USU parking isn’t using the collected money to fix the issues many students face.
I, along with many other students have signed a petition to open parking lots outside of business hours. It’s not a complicated request. It’s an effort to help students focus on their academic careers rather than draining their bank account.
USU Parking refused to comment on any of the previously mentioned issues.
Interesting perspective on the issue
I wonder if part of the problem is the Logan City Snow Ordinance:
https://www.loganutah.org/government/departments/police/patrol/parking_enforcement.php#:~:text=Logan%20Municipal%20Code%2010.52.,to%20allow%20for%20snow%20removal.)
I applauded USU Parking for increasing the parking ticket fine for reserved lots. Why should an employee, who pays for parking, give up a spot to a student who doesn’t pay for parking in that lot?
The signage around campus is adequate.
I find this article to be disturbing. Might I point out a few disagreements I have with this opinion piece.
1) The Cars pictured were ticketed by Logan City Police Department. These cars are parked on 1000 N across from Old Farm. (Outside of USU Parking’s Jurisdiction)
2) Most Lots on Utah State’s Logan Campus open up after 5pm. The only lots that are patrolled after 5 are the following; (Old Main Meters) (TSC Visitor Lot) (All Service/ Loading Zones) (Electric Vehicle Stalls) (Construction Permit Stalls) (Faculty/Staff Permit after 5pm Stalls) and (Gateway Parking Garage). All other lots including most faculty and staff parking lots are open after 5pm.
There are many other points I could bring up. But I find this piece to be disturbing as it paints a false image of USU Parking. Hopefully no parking enforcement officers have to deal with extra complaints because of this article. Did you know that USU’s parking enforcement officers are college students? They are trying to earn their $10 hr just like the rest of USU students.
I agree with USUAGGIE2023, this article is strongly biased, and often factually incorrect. (See their comment for some of the factually incorrect information)
Many people seem to forget that this is a school with over 20,000 students (not including staff, faculty, or visitors), but has nowhere near that amount that amount of parking available in the middle of campus where people want it (despite efforts to increase parking with new parking garages).
So, the only question here is more how do you allocate this parking? And I believe the current method is best. Give the faculty & staff who don’t live on or near campus the opportunity to purchase parking slots, then students can either pay a premium to live near campus and use a bus/walk/bike or can pay $$ for a pass for remaining slots. Free is unfair to those without a car as they would be subsidizing others.
The parking office should enforce this frequently with tickets, because if they didn’t many of the staff (and others with passes) would be unable to attend their job/classes. In the past with lower ticket amounts people just ignored them, requiring the increase. The goal of the tickets isn’t supposed to be that you can ignore them, but rather to stop you from parking there so the spots are available for those with a pass.
The statement that you shouldn’t be punished with expensive tickets is giving the impression that you think you are more important than everyone else, because I am confident you are not the only person who would prefer to park on campus.
And the money from tickets goes to the department that runs the busses and is actively trying to increase available parking, so I am unsure where your statement that the money is wasted comes from.
Articles like this only promotes unfairly doxing and harassing the university parking enforcement officers who are just college students working a job for money like everyone else as it simply provides false information to casual readers providing a negative impression of the parking office. The department obviously has flaws, but publishing an article with false information is not the correct move.
The only valid complaint is the issue with the blue lot, but honestly, I doubt Madison would have paid regardless based on her attitude. (She could have paid to park right next to it in the parking garage).