August 27, 2008
Daily Lobo
Students parking on campus get fewer spaces for more money
By: Caitlin ReeceParking has become a serious problem for many students at UNM - permits have become more expensive, and the scarcity of spaces has forced some people to settle for lots far from campus.
UNM's Parking and Transportation Services representatives said they are working to remedy these problems and help students take advantage of their best options.
Cynthia Martin, the program planning manager at Parking and Transportation, said the main problem is a lack of space. She said there are only about 4,000 parking spaces on main campus, which is hardly enough to accommodate the 30,000 students who come to UNM daily.
Most of the spaces on campus are sold out, leaving only permits for motorcycle parking and the distant South Lot, Martin said.
Martin said Parking and Transportation has some difficulty providing enough spaces for students because UNM places a priority on construction that adds classrooms and dorms.
"The demand for parking spaces is very high, and it's only going to get worse, because when the University builds, they build on parking lots, so we lose spaces," she said.
Martin said students can cut back on parking costs by carpooling.
"People can split the cost of a permit - this will save space, gas, money and time," she said.
Freshman Sharon Guan said a lack of space was only one of the problems she encountered while trying to buy a parking permit.
"When I first logged on to buy my permit, I thought I had done everything right. South Lot was the only lot left, the Web site said, so I bought a permit for South Lot. Later on, my friend told me since I lived on campus in the dorms, I could have gotten a dorm spot," Guan said.
She said that when she tried to remedy the problem, the online system would not recognize her on-campus residence or grant her a refund.
"I tried to solve it over the phone, but I was told I could only solve it by coming down in person to their offices," she said.
Guan said she drove to the offices only to be told she should return home and get her issue resolved over the phone.
Ruben De La Garza, business management specialist for Parking and Transportation Services, said that while there are still bugs in the computer system due to high traffic, the process is exponentially smoother than it was a few years ago and is continuing to improve.
"When I first started working here, there would be lines literally winding around the building and out to other buildings across the street, so this computer system has made things smoother and quicker for students all around," he said.
Sophomore Matt Jones said he had no problems getting his parking permit using the computer system.
"It was pretty simple, actually. I just got online, paid for it, and that was it," he said.
However, Jones said he did have a problem with paying the high price for his permit.
"It's gone up since last year, definitely," he said.
Motorcycle permits are $70 per year, while G, Q and South Lot permits cost $124. Other lot permits are sold for $183.
Senior Leslie Harless said the price has prevented her from purchasing a parking permit this year.
"It's just too expensive. I pay so much for school and cost of living that I really can't afford to just drop a few hundred dollars for a parking space," Harless said.
Martin said people don't realize that prices are higher for a reason.
"As the price of oil goes up, so do our prices," she said. "Most people don't think about all our petroleum-based services - not only do the shuttle buses run on fuel, but our asphalt is petroleum-based as well."
De La Garza said students also don't realize that Parking and Transportation Services is a self-sustaining, self-funded program.
"Everything from the asphalt to the paint to the land is paid for solely by fines and permits," he said. "We don't receive any money from UNM or taxes."
De La Garza said there are plans to make parking even more convenient, but it is a complicated process.
"People ask why we don't just build another parking structure. They don't realize that a structure costs about $15,000 a space to build and about $900 a space to maintain," he said.
De La Garza said the department is working on an expansion program, which could involve the building of a new parking structure.
Martin said the best thing students can do to make their commutes easier is to take advantage of alternative transportation.