Prices of parking permits continue to increase especially because of the newly built Perry Street parking garage.
Permits for the new school year are available, with higher prices than previous years.
Parking permits increased in price as a direct result of the construction of the Perry Street parking garage.
Despite the project being completed as of late August last year, anyone wishing to park at the university will have to pay for the costs for the next 20 years.
So far, this is the fourth consecutive year prices have been raised.
Liz Roop, a senior architecture major, thinks that other alternatives could be made. “I feel like they should could charge more for daily permits,” Roop said. “That way it’d be more for people going to Tech for the day.”
Parking services officials said permit prices would be increased to cover expenses, since parking is not state funded.
Unfortunately, they said, this is what it takes to keep parking at Virginia Tech functioning.
The future of prices looks bleak in regard to this $26 million project.
The master plan of development includes the construction of two more parking decks to accommodate the university’s desire for continued growth.
These new decks would be placed where the cage is now, in addition to either the Cassell Coliseum parking lot or the Squires Student Center parking lot.
Tech has also considered removing parking from the Drillfield entirely.
This is to ensure a pedestrian-friendly environment is kept in tact.
This plan, however, will not be happening for many years. Typically with the construction of parking garages, parking prices will increase.
According to parking services assistant manager Bo Frazier, “The increase is pretty minimal.”
While Tech continues to pride itself in its low-cost parking permits, other universities in Virginia cannot say the same thing.
The University of Virginia charges $204 per year for general commuter parking.
While James Madison University charges $212 for one year of parking, according to their respective parking services websites.
“In comparison to other schools, it’s an adequate price but I also feel like there should be more availability of parking spaces,” Roop said.
Frazier said parking services is able to keep the prices relatively low because of our location.
“A lot has to do with the demographics,” Frazier said. “We’re fortunate to have a lot of real estate. We have a lot of property that allows us to build surface lots.”
It costs about $3,000-3,200 to build a space for a surface lot, but it’s about $14,00-19,000 to build a space for a parking garage.
Faculty, staff and resident students all pay $225 for a permit for a full year or $113 per semester. Commuter and graduate students pay $198 per year or $99 per semester.
Students who choose to travel together can purchase carpool passes for $151 each year or $76 each semester.
One new parking services feature will allow graduate assistants to buy parking permits using payroll deduction, like faculty and staff members.
This availability is said to allow qualified students to purchase permits with pre-tax dollars and spread the cost over the duration of their assistantship appointment.
The amount deducted from each payroll will be determined by the time frame of the appointment set by the sponsoring department.
The department responsible for the assistantship will need to enter the position into a program prior to being able to enroll in the pre-tax permit deduction program.
This option is only available to graduate assistants whose appointments begin at the start of the fall semester. Tech parking permits for the 2010-2011 year will expire at the latest on Aug. 26. Students and staff are now able to purchase 2011-2012 parking permits online with Parking EZ-Biz.
Permits can also be purchased in person at the Parking Services office located at 455 Tech Center Drive.
For permit price and information, visit the Parking Services website at parking.vt.edu or contact Parking Services at parking@vt.edu or 540-231-3200.
A version of this article appeared in the Jul 28 issue of the Collegiate Times.
Leave a comment 14 Comments Write a letter to the editor
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WAAAA!! everyone wants to complain about no parking, then people are surprised that it cost money to build parking garages... did anyone think it would be free? Ride the bus people, the BT is one of the quickest ways to get to class... and you already pay for it.
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not when its filled to capacity every time I go to class.
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Get out of bed and catch the empty bus 15 minutes earlier. Or would that be too hard for you?
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When I took the bus to class it was a +30min ordeal. Driving takes less than 5 min. At 80 days per semester, that's something like 60 hrs of waiting saved per semester.
$200 for 60hrs of my time is worth it. I think I'll drive.
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I probably won't be buying a permit this year. I'll ride the bike when its nice and take the bus when it isn't. It's more economical that way anyways.
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If you drive you have to pay.
No brainer.
Pay for gas. Pay for you insurance. Pay for your vehicle. Pay for parking.
Cars and the responsibility that accompanies them aren't free.
Sounds like some spoiled brats have had mom n' dad footing the bill
And now you have to grow up and shell it out. Wait until you have
A mortgage! E-Gads!
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you sound old and full of yourself. try acting your age and be a little bit more mature.
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you sound old and full of yourself. try acting your age and be a little bit more mature.
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As a non-driver (admittedly biased), I do think the cost of the garages should rest with those who use them. If you don't want to pay, just use the BT!
Also: "While James Madison University charges $212 for one year of parking, according to their respective parking services websites." More careful proofreading, please!
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As someone who doesn't take the bus, I would like for the school to not spend on other people's commuting costs.
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As a driver, my main gripe with Parking Services is the lack of parking meter spots. I use to take the BT to class but often times I'd find myself needing my car to go somewhere after class that either the BT doesn't go to or is too slow to go and wait and hop off at another stop and wait some more ect.
Or if I need to stop by student services for 5 minutes.
If there were more meters I'd just use those and pay by the hour. But on washington st. there's maybe 5 meters. And maybe 10 on perry st. All of them are always taken.
Also in the winter or rainy weather, it sucks waiting at the bus stop for 15 and sometimes 20 minutes for a bus.
Also if you have a fuel efficient car it shouldn't be a big deal. Mine gets 30mpg on average and I only fill up the tank maybe once a month if that despite driving everyday.
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I am debating whether or not to get another parking pass this year though. Last year was nice when the garage opened but once they start construction on perry st. for that new engineering building, there will be a deficit of spots once again.
If parking is too hard I may just go back to the BT, since finding parking is the biggest time waster(5 to 10 minutes sometimes)in the whole driving to class process. I stay away from the garage entirely. First time I used it, I got stuck in there for nearly 25 minutes trying to park since the entire thing was grid-locked (like 2pm) I haven't been in since.
I figure I'll buy a pass for the fall and see how it goes.
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I've never had an issue finding a parking spot in the garage. Park on the far side, toward Price's Fork. There's always spots there.
Oh wait, everyone wants to be as close to their stairwell and academic buildings as possible. In that 25 minutes it takes you to find a spot on the near side, I've parked and made my way to class already.
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Yeah...it's hard to get there when you have a 10+ line of cars backed up each waiting to park, you can't get around. You just have to sit there and wait and slowly make your way over there. Last time I remember, it wasn't a 2 lane garage in each direction
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