New Parking Fees, Options Outlined for Next Fiscal Year

The new fiscal year will bring significant changes to the university's parking-permit structure, fees and facilities.

The Tri-Campuses' first parking garage, located at the Downtown Campus, is set to open this August, in time for the fall 2001 term. The 350-vehicle facility will provide premium parking for faculty, staff and students. The cost for all garage parking permits will be $360 per fiscal year.

Permit categories for faculty and staff have been revised, and fees have been increased for the first time since 1999. The "executive" permit category has been eliminated. The "administrative" category has been changed to "reserved," while the former reserved and faculty/staff permits will be known as faculty/staff A and faculty/staff B, respectively. The A-level permits will cost $150 and will provide "close-in" spaces at the 1604 Campus, Downtown Campus Durango Loop Lot and Institute of Texan Cultures. The B-level permits will cost $75.

Students, faculty and staff at the 1604 Campus can purchase a discounted, restricted use permit for a new satellite parking facility, Lot 11, located off UTSA Boulevard adjacent to the University Oaks Apartments. Users will take an express university shuttle bus to campus buildings. The cost for all users will be $24.

Downtown Campus Parking Garage

According to Parking Manager William Hamilton, half of the spaces in the four-level structure will be set aside for garage parking-permit holders, and half will be available on a paid, hourly basis. Garage permits will be used for sublevels two and three, which will be gated for access control. Permit holders will be able to enter these sublevels by swiping their UTSA ID card at the entry gate card reader.

The garage permit fee is $360 per year available via payroll deduction for faculty and staff. Prior to permit sales, there will be a survey of faculty and staff interest in purchasing permits for the garage, Hamilton added. Students purchasing a garage permit will be allowed to make payments in the fall, spring and summer semesters.

These permits also provide for parking in designated, close-in parking areas located at the 1604 Campus. Close-in parking includes the non-numbered, 24-hour reserved parking spaces located in parking lot 6 (curb row in front of the Science Building) and in parking lot 4 (second row directly across from the John Peace Library Building). The actual number of close-in spaces will be monitored and adjusted accordingly to provide adequate parking for the permit holders.

In the event a garage permit is returned to the Parking office prior to Aug. 31 of the fiscal year of purchase, a refund will be prorated at $30 per month for each unused month. For example, if a faculty or staff member purchases a garage permit in September and the permit is returned to the Parking office during May, the individual who purchased the garage permit would be credited for $90.

Garage permits will allow 24-hour access to the two lower levels of the garage, with designated garage parking spaces guaranteed 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m.-noon on Saturday. Occasionally, the garage's two lower levels may be used after 7 p.m. for parking in conjunction with UTSA-sponsored special events.

The entry level and ground level of the garage will be available to students, visitors and faculty/staff members on a pay-per-use basis. Hourly parking fees in the garage will be 75 cents, the same as for metered spaces at the 1604 Campus. There will not be parking meters at each space in the garage. Rather, users will deposit their fees into multi-space pay stations located inside the garage, adjacent to the elevators, Buena Vista Building first floor area and in the Frio Street Building Commons area. Pay stations will accept quarters, $1-bills and $5-bills as well as authorized credit cards (MasterCard, Visa and Discover).

According to Hamilton, the multi-space pay system offers the most user conveniences of several systems considered for the garage. The user parks, goes to the pay station on that level of the garage, enters the parking space number and selects the time desired, then pays using currency or credit card. The station prints out a receipt for the user, indicating the space number, time paid, amount paid and the expiration time. Should the user need more time, he or she may go to any of the multi-pay stations and add the additional amount desired. There is no need to return to the original pay point.

Discounted Fee Parking Lot at 1604 Campus

Beginning this fall, students, faculty and staff will be able to purchase for $24 a year a restricted-use parking permit for Lot 11, located adjacent to University Oaks Apartments on UTSA Boulevard. The Lot 11-only parking permit provides for a parking space in this new, underutilized lot between 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Lot 11 permit holders can park anywhere in general parking Saturday and Sunday. University Police will patrol this lot, and emergency phones are installed.

Hamilton said this type of permit provides several advantages to commuter students, faculty and temporary staff members. The number of Lot 11 permit sales will be limited to 95 percent of the available parking spaces within the parking lot and Lot 11-only permit holders can park there.

Express shuttle service will operate between Lot 11 and Lot 9, located near the University Center, Multidisciplinary Studies Building and Humanities and Social Sciences Building, during the period 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Shuttle usage will be monitored and the schedule adjusted according to demand for service. Permits for Lot 11 must be purchased at the 1604 Campus Parking office. Students, faculty and staff who have already selected a student general or faculty/staff permit prior to the start of fall classes will be able to turn in the more expensive permit and purchase the Lot 11 permit prior to the census date.

Because this is the first year these parking permits are being used, prior selection was not available during the regular student registration period. Lot 11 parking permits provide for parking only in the designated parking lot and are not to be used to park in any other areas at the 1604 Campus, Downtown Campus or Institute of Texan Cultures parking facilities. The Lot 11 permit will be prorated at $2 a month.

2001-2002 Faculty/Staff Parking Permit Classifications
Downtown Campus Garage $360
Executive(eliminated)
Administrative
(Changed to Reserved) $264
Reserved
(Changed to Faculty/Staff A) $150
Faculty/Staff
(Changed to Faculty/Staff B) $75
Disabled $75
Motorcycle, Motor Scooter
Motor Bike, Moped $30
($6 with purchase of four-wheeled vehicle permit)
Bicycle $6
Non-benefited Temporary Faculty and Staff Employees, Vendors, Salespersons, Technical Representatives,
Other Servicing Personnel, and persons Regularly using University Facilities $30
Alumni $12
Non-affiliated University Oaks and Chisholm Hall Residents $30
Lot 11 $24

2001-2002 Student Parking Permit Classifications
Downtown Campus Garage $360
Garage-fall $ 120
Garage-spring $ 120
Garage-summer $ 120
General-fall (and spring) $53
General-spring $28
General-summer $22
Disabled-fall $53
Disabled-spring $28
Disabled-summer $22
Motorcycle, Motor Scooter
Motor Bike, Moped-fall $21
($6 with purchase of four wheeled vehicle permit)
Motorcycle, Motor Scooter
Motor Bike, Moped-spring $12
Motorcycle, Motor Scooter
Motor Bike, Moped-summer $9
Bicycle $6
Lot 11