Citing the need to become a self-supporting entity with no funding from other university fees and the fact that UConn charges less for parking – sometimes much less – than what comparable universities charge, Parking Services has proposed gradually increasing student parking fees over the next five years.
The proposal also calls for UConn to be divided into three parking zones, whereby the most desirable parking – closest to the center of campus – costs the most, while less desirable parking farther from the center costs students the least. (See charts)
“UConn’s parking fees are much, much lower than similar institutions and because of this, Parking Services has had to rely on a subsidy from the University in order to operate,” says William Wendt, the head of Transportation, Logistics, and Parking at UConn. “This creates a situation where students who don’t park at UConn or don’t even have a car are subsidizing those students who do park here.”
The average annual parking cost for a UConn student is about $95 a year, while a student at the University of Florida pays $134; students at the University of Vermont pay $223; UNC-Chapel Hill $316; and the University of Illinois $485.
“There also needs to be some greater common sense regarding how the University prices its parking,” says Wendt. “There has to be some market value taken into consideration, meaning it’s unreasonable to charge the same rate for the person who parks in the middle of campus as we do for someone who parks in a lot that’s far from the campus core.”
UConn began putting this strategy into place this fall, when the cost of parking in C-Lot was cut to $50.
Wendt says that making UConn’s parking fee on par with those at other schools will mean that the cost of student parking is paid only by students who actually have a car and park at UConn. An annual increase in fees would also mean the department could potentially generate enough revenue to cover all current expenses, including maintenance of parking lots and garages.
This proposal was recommended by the Parking Advisory Committee and has been presented to the Student Fee Committee. The Student Fee Committee has requested additional information before any action is taken.
