Parking facilities faces deficit despite ticket increase
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 11/04/2009
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Despite a 35 percent increase in parking ticket revenue, parking facilities has lost more than $1 million over the last two years.
The deficit for parking facilities in 2007-2008 was $469,467 and in 2008-2009 was $804,088, totaling $1,273,555. Holly Alexander, parking facilities manager, said the reason for these losses is maintenance.
“Garages and parking lots require specific and regular maintenance plus unplanned expenses,” she said. “Garages specifically have a maintenance schedule over many years.
“The University is hesitant to raise (parking) rates to staff and students in difficult economic times.”
In the same time period, there was a loss of $91,382 in the category of student permits, which would include C Lot and C Garage passes sold to students.
Alexander said the reasoning behind this is unclear, but it could have been gas prices, less permits sold in both categories or more CityBus riders.
From spring 2008 to spring 2009, there were 5,359 more tickets written, accounting for a 35 percent increase in profits. This increased the income by $66,002 during the same time period.
Alexander said this was attributed to the hiring of another ticket writer.
“The fines didn’t go up,” she said. “There was a parking enforcement vacancy filled, so more citations were written.”
Alexander explained that the filling of an empty staff position has increased the number of tickets written. She said parking enforcement is an important matter for students and staff who use the facilities on a regular basis.
“It makes sure that spaces are available for the people who follow the rules and purchase the appropriate permits, and it also helps keep rates lower by offsetting expenses,” she said. “Parking enforcement staff also monitor garages for problems and help keep our facilities safe.”
Darlene Cooley, parking enforcement attendant, said, overall, the students she encounters on campus are respectful to her, even when she’s writing them a ticket.
“I don’t normally have a lot of problems,” Cooley said. “When I do give a student a ticket, I try to be fair and honest with everyone; I have to enforce what is right.”
Students who get tickets they feel are unfair or undeserved have the right to appeal their ticket. Students, faculty and staff fill out an appeal form and, depending on the violation, it might or might not be waived. For the last three years, the percentage of tickets waived has been 51 percent. Alexander said this comes as no surprise.
“The main objective of parking enforcement is education rather than punishment,” she said. “One common reason for dismissing a ticket is that a person has the permit, but forgot to display it or it fell off the dash. Tickets that won’t be waived are moving violations or parking in reserved spaces.”