Pedestrians, cyclists and public transit users who would prefer to drive to the University on a rainy day can now take advantage of University Parking and Transportation's expanded occasional permit parking program, which now includes University Hall parking lots and the new Culbreth Road Garage.
Occasional permits provide an alternative to monthly and annual permits that cost at least $16 per month or $192 per year.
Books of 10 "scratch-off" permits cost $10 for University Hall lots and $28 for the Culbreth Road Garage, according to Parking and Transportation Director Rebecca White.
She added that anyone is allowed to purchase the permits except first-year students and other students living in University housing because these students typically use permits for storage parking.
White maintained that while occasional permits have been available for about two years for use at the Emmet/Ivy Parking Garage, these permits have not decreased the sale of long-term permits for the Emmet/Ivy garage. White said she does not anticipate fewer long-term sales for the newly added locations, but explained that the program seeks to encourage daily use of other forms of transportation -- such as bicycles and public transportation -- because commuters will not feel like they are wasting money on days they do not drive.
Though fourth-year Education student Megan Kennedy said she liked the idea of the occasional permit parking program, she said the current participating locations would not make driving more convenient than walking.
"I park at the Central Grounds garage all the time but it gets expensive," Kennedy said, adding, though, that the occasional permit prices sounded reasonable.
Fourth-year College student Grace Allstrom said the less expensive occasional permits could be enticing for students who use on-Grounds parking as a backup option if other parking is not available.
"Most people I know don't buy the long-term permits because they are horribly expensive," Allstrom said.
White explained that this permit program developed from transportation demand management strategies, which aim to "create incentives to use [transportation] alternatives."
White said she expects the program to include other parking areas on Grounds in the future but said there are no current plans for extension because of availability constraints; she noted University Hall and Culbreth Road Garage parking spaces were not purchased by long-term users.
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