Who else hates the parking devision?

[CyBer]

ISU Leads Universities in Collecting Campus Parking Fines

AMES, Iowa - Parking-rule violators at Iowa State University tend to pay larger fines for their infractions than at the other two state universities, which results in ISU collecting double the parking ticket revenue.

ISU and the University of Northern Iowa generated more money from parking fines last year than did the University of Iowa, and for ISU it was double the UI’s ticket revenue.

Parking officials at the three state universities say the differences are in part because of varied ticket fines at each institution. One of the most common violations — an expired meter — is $10 at ISU and UNI but $5 or $7 at the UI, for example.

Parking tickets generated just more than $1 million at ISU in fiscal 2011, compared with $533,536 at UNI and $455,560 at the UI.
Ticket revenue decreased every year for the past five at the UI, while tickets issued dropped from 2007 to 2010 before a rebound in 2011. That decreasing trend is not mirrored as steadily at ISU and it was the reverse at UNI, where ticket revenue and citations issued have increased since 2007.

ISU Leads Universities in Collecting Campus Parking Fines | KCRG-TV9 | Cedar Rapids, Iowa News, Sports, and Weather | Local News

 

[jsmith86]

A better question might be: "who doesn't hate parking devision?"


Edit: On the other hand, they probably use all the money they take in to keep that fleet of pickups they have full of gas. Maybe they should raise ticket prices.

 

[CyBer]

True.

 

[3TrueFans]

Don't park illegally? Boom, mind blown.

 

[ISUKyro]

Could always park in the commuter lot. Never once did I get a ticket while at ISU - then again I was smart enough to read the signs that told me not to and went else where.

 

[cdekovic]

Could always park in the commuter lot. Never once did I get a ticket while at ISU - then again I was smart enough to read the signs that told me not to and went else where.

I also noticed that you spelled all your words correctly too. Nice.

 

[CyCrazy]

Don't park illegally? Boom, mind blown.

This will still not convince some people that is not a conspiracy that the parking division is out to get them.

 

[alarson]

Don't park illegally? Boom, mind blown.

A lot of the violations could be gone if they had more reasonable parking policies, especially after 3 or so. Several of the lots dont need to be restricted until 5, and a bunch dont need to be 24 hour reserved (that end up empty all evening).

Or ISU could add more parking with all those fines, whoa, what a concept.

 

[cyclonedave25]

I donated about $250 to the parking division during my 3rd year from parking in the Rec parking lots. Those cost $.75/hour to park in (when I was there) which I never paid. I calculated the amount it would have cost me to park there legally and pay every time and never get a ticket, and the total of that was more than $250, so actually I saved money by never paying and risking a parking ticket.

The trick is to find out the time they roll through the lot each day and avoid it at those times, or just pay if you have be there at that time. They usually come through that lot at the same time everyday.

Also, during days that it has snowed and you can't see the pavement, they can't give tickets because they can't see what number of stall you're parked in.

Again, all of this was about 6 years ago so they may have changed their routines or system for ticketing cars. But, while I was there if you used your head you came out on top.

 

[CyCrazy]

A lot of the violations could be gone if they had more reasonable parking policies, especially after 3 or so. Several of the lots dont need to be restricted until 5, and a bunch dont need to be 24 hour reserved (that end up empty all evening).

Or ISU could add more parking with all those fines, whoa, what a concept.

Or park in the commuter lot, that never gets full. Whoa what a concept.

 

[alarson]

Or park in the commuter lot, that never gets full. Whoa what a concept.

A lot far away from any classes. Yeah, that's always a solution.

 

[CapnCy]

Could always park in the commuter lot. Never once did I get a ticket while at ISU - then again I was smart enough to read the signs that told me not to and went else where.

Agree 100%. They don't ticket if you're parked legally...and if, by some chance, an error was made, they have a system which allows for an appeal.

The flipside of the argument is...what if you were one of the folks who shelled out good money for a reserved spot/parking lot area and someone who was "just running in the building quick" was parked in your spot that you paid for....you'd want someone enforcing the rules, correct?

It's supply/demand. On any given day, there are 30,000+ people withing a very small area...not everyone gets a primo spot.

 

[ISUAgronomist]

a bunch dont need to be 24 hour reserved (that end up empty all evening).

For the cost of a 24-hour reserved spot here I'd be ****** if I couldn't use it whenever I want.


@ISU:

24-Hour Reserve $846

 

[CyCrazy]

A lot far away from any classes. Yeah, that's always a solution.

That bus route runs every 5 minutes. Plan ahead.

 

[alarson]

Agree 100%. They don't ticket if you're parked legally...and if, by some chance, an error was made, they have a system which allows for an appeal.

The flipside of the argument is...what if you were one of the folks who shelled out good money for a reserved spot/parking lot area and someone who was "just running in the building quick" was parked in your spot that you paid for....you'd want someone enforcing the rules, correct?

It's supply/demand. On any given day, there are 30,000+ people withing a very small area...not everyone gets a primo spot.

When a parking lot is almost empty except for maybe 10 cars, and they come ticket the cars in that lot, there's no way anyone will ever convince me that is right.

Peak times when theres a shortage of space... sure. But DPS gets its reputation because of dickery like that.

Fact is the numbers show that ISU is generating a much greater toll at the expense of its students.

 

[ISUKyro]

I also noticed that you spelled all your words correctly too. Nice.

That has got to be a first! I suck at spelling!

 

[cyclonedave25]

That has got to be a first! I suck at spelling!

Can you tell me if there are any misspelled words in the title of this thread? :twitcy:

 

[besserheimerphat]

From a Northwestern University article from 2006:

It costs an average of $4,000 per space to build surface parking lots and $20,000 per space for above-grade garages and $30,000 to $40,000 for below-grade garages, said Ron Nayler, associate vice president for facilities management.

Community Invited to Discuss Evanston Parking Plans : Northwestern University Newscenter

There's not much space on campus to build a surface parking lot, so to increase on campus parking would require a very expensive investment. You might end up paying more in parking fees than you already are in tickets. Plus that parking fee would likely be charged to all on campus students, regardless of whether or not they have a car on campus.

Did they get rid of CyRide?

 

[besserheimerphat]

When a parking lot is almost empty except for maybe 10 cars, and they come ticket the cars in that lot, there's no way anyone will ever convince me that is right.

Peak times when theres a shortage of space... sure. But DPS gets its reputation because of dickery like that.

Fact is the numbers show that ISU is generating a much greater toll at the expense of its students.

Fact is, that's an expense that you take the risk of paying when you PARK ILLEGALLY.

 

[alarson]

Fact is, that's an expense that you take the risk of paying when you PARK ILLEGALLY.

Its not like the state sets the parking rules you know. The parking rules are also part of the criticism of the DPS.

After 3pm a good chunk of the lots on campus should be fair game, as a good number of them empty out.