UCSD Transportation Services is considering restricting freshman parking and Pay Station permits for B spaces beginning fall 2016 to ease the congestion of on-campus parking, said Muir College Council President Moiz Ansari.
Muir College Council minutes from Feb 25 note that UCSD is “not a campus wrapped in an urban environment, which makes students not having cars more of a challenge.”
According to Ansari, because many freshman students live on campus with cars, it is already difficult for commuters to find parking. While the specifics are unclear, Ansari believes that non-commuting freshmen may be able to appeal to keep a car on campus if there is a necessary circumstance such as work or internships.
Potential restriction of Pay Station permits for B spaces is intended to lessen the impact of competition for on-campus parking for staff. Students are currently able to buy a day pass from the Pay Station for a B spot, which are intended for staff.
UCSD is also considering converting all Visitor spaces to Visitor Premium (VP) spaces, which would mean a price increase from $1 to $2 per hour or $8 to $16 per day.
“People abuse the spaces and pay for a day pass if they can’t find a space to park on campus,” said Ansari. “So it’s not really a visitor space as much as it is an extra space for students to park. Ansari emphasized that the space conversion is being “heavily discussed” and will continue to be in order to pass through administration.
A parking structure will replaces the spaces from the Muir Upper and Lower Lots lost in the construction of the Living Learning Neighborhood. Muir College Council minutes from Feb 25 state that Transportation Services will be adding more spaces in the form of street parking and “potentially three new parking structures” to account for student demand and compensate for spaces lost due to construction.
“Permit restrictions for incoming first year students are currently under consideration by campus leadership. Details will be available pending the final decision,” said Transportation Services Director Charles Kindred.