With its rolling hills and neoclassical architecture, Charlottesville seems to be the antithesis of an area like Manhattan. But there is one affliction that both the Big Apple and C-ville share, albeit to different degrees -- parking problems.
Every day at the University, the words "Department of Parking and Transportation," or P&T for short, are contemptuously uttered by thousands of disgruntled students and employees who find tickets tucked under their windshield wipers.
And to add to the ticketing and towing hassles, P&T recently increased its parking prices on Grounds. Hourly parking fees have now increased from $1 to $1.30 in the Central Grounds Parking Garage, and from $9 to $10 a month for permit parking.
But the people most affected by this increase are not the students. They're University employees, who must park in the garage or other area lots every day. It's either that or find a ride to work.
"I have someone drop me off at Barracks Road and take the bus," University Bookstore cashier Leslie Robinson said.
For employees whose salaries range from $7 to $10 per hour, parking in the Central Grounds Parking Garage is too much, averaging about $52 for a 40-hour work week.
Parking is an expense they simply can't afford to pay.
"People are getting different sources [of transportation] to get here - we can't pay the extra money," said University Bookstore cashier Drema Morgan.
Even though employees use a large portion of University lots, they receive no price cut in parking prices. "We should get some kind of discount or something," Pav employee Denise Mallory said.
Even if employees choose to purchase a permit from Parking and Transportation, they face a few additional caveats.
"Even permit parking is kind of limited during the football games," said Bookstore cashier Robinson.
If employees do not want to park in the garage, other options are limited. Some park behind Clark Hall or the Chemistry Building, said Richard Kovatch, Assistant Vice President for Business Operations.
But getting a prime parking lot spot doesn't come cheaply: To park within the Central Grounds area, an employee would have to pay $25 per month.
All employees, from groundskeepers to tenured professors, who choose to shell out the high cost, can purchase the permits on a first come, first serve basis, Kovatch said.
Despite the headaches that higher parking prices present to both students and employees, P&T has its own financial problems to deal with.
The department receives no funding from the University, said Vicky Bradt, an administrative assistant in the parking and transportation office.
In addition to building and maintaining new parking lots and garages, the department oversees the University Transit System and is responsible for maintaining all University buses. Typically 16 to 18 buses run each day, Kovatch said.
Parking and transportation recently had to purchase four new buses, at a price tag of about $240,000 each.
"We're in the planning stage of having a garage" near the Culbreth Theater, Kovatch said.
Their revenue is derived exclusively from parking permits, fines and service passes.
Despite the fact that Parking and Transportation is struggling to manage financial crunches, many University employees still feel left out in the cold.
"I can't win for losing," Morgan said.
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