Parking on the River Campus will become more expensive next year, as rates increase seven percent to accommodate escalating operating costs. All River Campus student parking spaces will cost $269 for the 2001-2002 year.
The increased costs will pay for repairs to the parking facility. Repairs are slated for Hill Court Lot, Graduate Living Center Lot and the bridge that leads to River Lot.
The parking office will also authorize general crack filling and sealing for all the lots, Director of River Campus Parking Glen Sicard said.
Sicard said the increased costs are not due to increased services or new bus routes.
?We have always been available to provide any ancillary services including jumpstarts, tire inflation, etc.,? he said.
Peer institutions such as Carnegie Mellon University, Emory University, University of Chicago, Brown University and Case Western Reserve University see much higher costs, Sicard said.
A permit next year at Carnegie Mellon will cost students between $471 to $523, while students at Chicago could pay anywhere from $419 to $900. Case Western charges anywhere from $275 to $500. Brown students pay a straight $350 per year. Students at Emory fork over $303 for a parking spot.
Parking officials and current Graduate Living Center residents are currently discussing modifications to the bus schedule for next year, Sicard said.
River Campus Parking has its own budget and money made from student permits only pays for upkeep of River Campus spaces. The money is used for lighting, maintenance of the parking lots, blue light phones, security, snowplowing and other expenses, Sicard said.
Transportation costs, including buses, are core funded and not included as part of the student parking fee. Funding comes from all departments that utilize the services.
For example, the College, the William E. Simon School of Business Administration, the Eastman School of Music, the School of Medicine and Dentistry and the Office of Residential Life all contribute to the transportation fund.
Parking registration forms can be picked up in the parking office located in Fauver Stadium and are due April 20 paid-in-full. The lottery is scheduled for either the last week of April or the first week of May.
?There?s a definite advantage to registering on time,? Sicard said. ?We are almost always able to accommodate one of your top three lottery choices.?
For further information, students can call the River Campus Parking Office at x53983, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
