Parking Situation Worsens as University Decides to Do Away with Parking Permits

Texas A&M International University no longer requires parking permits as of the fall 2012 semester, but students are still paying for "parking privileges." As University Police Department (UPD) states on their Parking and Traffic Regulation, "The operation of a motor vehicle on Texas A&M international University property is a privilege granted by the University, not a right."

As students filter onto campus for class each day, they do not expect to spend most of their time scavenging for parking. Students will drive slowly past a sea of parked cars, and many frustrated individuals will resort to parking in non-designated areas, which could result in fines for some of them.

It may seem to be a general rule of some students that were asked at random to show up on campus 30 minutes to one hour ahead of time. This is to ensure that a parking space is secured and arrival to class is punctual. However, should they not time it right, students may end up parking in a non-designated space as a last resort, which many of them have found to have consequences. The Bridge asked a student at random if they have ever found themselves in violation with the parking regulations and the response was, "I didn't know that the area was an emergency [fire lane/zone] so I parked there and the [UPD] gave me a ticket and it is $100." Not only does parking in a fire lane/zone result in a $100 fine, there is a possibility that students' vehicles can be towed away leaving them with the expenses. If you find yourself violating these parking regulations more than once, you could face the possibility of getting your tire "booted." According to the UPD's parking enforcement procedures, "Not finding a legal parking space is not a valid excuse for violating any parking regulation." To define what a "non-designated" parking space is and other violations, there are guidelines posted on the UPD's website, http://www.tamiu.edu/adminis/police/index.shtml.

But how exactly did students find out about the changes? John Doe explained, "I was an orientation leader, [so] they told us beforehand." In stark contrast, another student informed The Bridge, "I saw the little print in the Bursar's office."

According to public record, located at the UPD offices, there are approximately 2,600 general access parking spots surrounding the campus. However, when it comes to reserved parking spaces, there are 300 available for purchase. Upon investigation,The Bridge found out that currently the unofficial student body count is at 7,367 as of Sept. 3, 2012. This is according to a recent article put out by the campus' Office of Public Relations. This means that, on average, TAMIU's general access parking lots can only accommodate 35% of its student commuters at any given time.

There is little information as to where the parking fees have gone. The Bridge is close to exhausting its resources of where the fees are now being covered. A search of  TAMIU's list of resources online and on campus yield little to no real information and upon reaching out to the  Vice-President of Finance and Administration, Juan J. Castillo, The Bridge was redirected back to the offices of the University Police Department.

However, what little information The Bridge did find, includes the following. As stated on the Office of Registrar's website,"The parking fee will be added at the time of payment of tuition and fees if requested." When looking up the new parking permit information, on the UPD's website of Parking and Traffic Regulation, the only information found pertaining to the parking permits is strictly for the purchase of reserved spaces, which range from $31.00 per semester ($31.00 for both summer sessions) to $80.00 for the academic year. Persons that qualify for reserved spaces, as stated on the same charter, are faculty, staff, and eligible students; although, there are no details as to what the criteria is to be an eligible student. In contacting UPD, they responded that only faculty and staff qualify.

The question remains, where have the parking fees gone if students are no longer paying for permits but still entitled to the privilege of parking on campus?

The Bridge will persist in looking into the parking situation, including on where the parking fees have gone, what were the reasons for removing them, and how it continues to affect students. In the next part of this series, the focus will on where the fees have gone. Look for future parts pertaining to why they were removed and how it is still affecting students.

The Bridge would like to know how you feel about the situation and would like you to participate by providing your feedback through The Bridge Newspaper's Facebook page or blogging on our digital edition at www.thebridgenewspaper.com.

(Judith Mae Aguilar and Tina Gomez may be reached at judithaguilar@dusty.tamiu.edu and cristinagomez@dusty.tamiu.edu)