DOTS sold 600 fewer permits than last year

The university sold about 600 fewer parking permits this year than last year, DOTS officials said, as a result of more students living on or near the campus than before and commuter students finding alternative modes of transportation on their way to the campus.

"It looks like we're several hundred short from last year," David Allen, director of the department of transportation services, said. "The parking lots certainly seem like they have a good number of parking spaces available."

Allen said the cost of permits would likely increase next year because of the lower sales. He added it appeared that underclassmen would have a harder time obtaining parking permits next year, though he said his department may shuffle around some space allotments to free up more permits for these students.

Some of the decrease in sales was caused by fewer spaces available after construction projects consumed at least 50 student spots in Lot 1, and even more spaces may disappear when construction for a new Denton Community dorm begins in Lot 2 this summer, Allen said.

"Historically, freshmen and sophomores can't register to park, anyway. The policy still reads that," Allen said. "But we allow it because we have the space."

It is possible that some extra parking spaces will be available, though. DOTS is considering decreasing its number of "buffer spaces," spots left open in parking lots to make finding a space more convenient during events such as Maryland Day.

The university has 750 buffer spaces and is considering reducing the number to 350 to further enable freshmen and sophomore parking next year.

"We don't have a parking problem on campus. We have a parking convenience problem," Allen said. "We would cut a little bit here, a little bit there. ... In doing that, it would make the overall parking situation more difficult. It would force some people to park in their assigned lot's overflow area."

Still, Allen said it's possible that select freshmen and sophomores will be given parking spaces. A meeting with the Residence Hall Association will be held to determine how many spaces DOTS predicts losing and who will be given priority for the remaining spots.

"In previous years, [students would] submit an application and say, 'I have a job,' or, 'I'm an Olympic ice skater, and here's my work stub.' It was always a hassle; it's hard to evaluate those," Allen said. He said he hopes working with RHA will help streamline the criteria for determining who gets a permit.

The deepening decrease in permits sold due to the construction, as well as students opting for alternative transportation, means permit prices will probably continue to rise, he said.

"Most likely, when there's a reduction in people paying and the costs to DOTS remain the same, there would be an increase in fees," he said.

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