By Michael J. Koberlein
BYU parking permits are not for sale this fall ? they?re free.
After a ton of phone calls, complaints and unpaid parking tickets, parking office employees put together a plan that they think will work.
Lieutenant Greg Barber, who manages the parking office, said the parking office catered the plan to students because students already have enough financial worries with tuition, books and other expenses ? they shouldn?t have to pay for a $60-$80 parking permit.
To facilitate the change, those who ride the bus will have to pay $5 a month to make up for the loss of contracted money to the UTA from not charging for permits.
?That?s 12 cents a ride,? Barber said, after a quick in-his-head calculation. ?That?s not a bad deal.?
Besides helping the students, the change will also help those who have settled close to campus, he said.
Some students who wanted to drive but didn?t have a permit would park in neighboring communities, which caused problems for residents, Barber said. Residents complained their neighborhood was congested with BYU students, and they went to Provo City government to resolve the problem.
The complaint resulted in the installment of two-hour parking signs lining the streets. Now residents have to give friends who come for an extended visit a temporary parking permit so they can park in two-hour zones without being ticketed, he said.
Barber said residents pushed for the change because they were worried an ambulance or a fire truck would not make it through their neighborhood with so many cars being parallel parked on the street.
Since the announcement of the parking permits, students and faculty have voiced concern about whether there will be enough parking spots for all of those who would like a permit.
If the number of people who park on campus didn?t decrease with an increased price for permits, then it will probably be the case that the number of people who park on campus will not increase with parking permits being free, Barber said.
When they raised prices for parking permits a few years ago, the number of people who parked on campus did not significantly decrease, he said.
Students should make it a point to arrive early to class and plan on parking a little further away from their destination, Barber said, referring to the West stadium lot, which is about a 15-minute walk.
?The thing we want to make known is there is parking,? Barber said. ?I hear all the time that there isn?t parking. It may not be right in front of your class, . I have yet to see the stadium parking lots full.?