Director of Parking and Transportation Catherine Reeve addressed a variety of parking concerns at Tuesday's meeting of the Graduate and Professional Student Council.
Reeve updated council members on her department's response to a number of items in a September GPSC petition, including permit prices, space in newly available perimeter lots, security issues, proximate lot access and the bus system. She also discussed future plans for parking.
Central to her presentation was the issue of perimeter versus proximate lots. While only 350 perimeter spots exist, Reeve said, more than 650 permits for the lots have already been sold--half to graduate and professional students. The resulting crunch has led to complaints from students and employees who have had difficulty finding places to park.
Reeve noted, however, that a number of permits are still available in lots closer to West Campus, though these are more expensive than the $10 perimeter permits.
"We're trying to get people to move into those [perimeter] lots," Reeve added. "It has been too much of a good thing."
GPSC members said students are not upgrading to closer lots because proximate permit prices are too high.
Reeve noted that as an auxiliary service, her department is charged to earn money, though struggles to break even each year. However, she conceded that before next year she hopes to reexamine many permit prices.
She said other changes will likely occur before next fall, including an earlier starting time for the entire permit distribution process.
"We started way too late," Reeve said. "By the time you leave this spring, you will have your parking permit."
Other long-term goals include surveying individual schools and students, enhancing transit options and creating a friendlier campus for pedestrians and bicyclists.
The new parking deck behind the Bryan Center, planned for next fall, is expected to partially alleviate overcrowding concerns.
GPSC members said greater communication between parking officials and graduate and professional students must exist, but said they realize the University is trying to fix the inherent problems associated with limited parking on campus.
"Cathy Reeve probably has the worst job in the University," said Tom Scotto, a fourth-year political science doctoral student. "Her presentation was very impressive. We realize that the parking limitations are not imposed by her."
Law student John Cook said the presentation showed there is no easy solution to the problems, which vary in how easily they can be addressed.
"It's hard to point a finger at any one thing," he said. "There really is no one single problem. There are a lot of small to medium-sized problems."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.