Parking at UTEP is an ongoing frustration for students according to a survey conducted by the Student Government Association (SGA). The survey shows that many students are dissatisfied with the current parking system and policies.
According to the survey, which gathered responses from 1,782 students, 89% of students live off campus and need to drive or take public transportation to get to campus.
Among these, 61% of students drive and park on campus daily, while 32% park off campus every day, 45.57% stated they never parked off campus.
From the start of the semester UTEP parking faced criticism as students had to wait hours to buy parking passes.
The survey showed that 60% of students have an active parking pass while 40% do not. 61% of the ones without a parking pass cited the cost of parking as the reason for not purchasing one.
“I think parking passes are too expensive,” said sophomore Frida Loya. “I still had to buy a lot of things for my actual classes, a lot of books and lab coats so, I couldn’t really afford to get a parking pass.”
Parking permits vary in price depending on how close the parking is to campus. The Sun Bowl parking garage and Schuster garage are both $400 per year. The silver perimeter costs $300, while the blue and purple permits are $225. The green remote permit costs $165 annually.
Sophomore Andres Garcia bought a parking pass but recognizes why the prices sway people away from purchasing UTEP parking passes.
“I’d say lower the prices because it really discourages people to even park here at all,” said Garcia. “People have to park really far away and to just get to their classes, which is hard, I have a lot of friends who do that.”
Loya chose to park in one of the nearby neighborhoods this semester. While it saves the cost of a parking permit, it has its own set of challenges according to Loya.
“I have to get here early to try and find a good parking spot,” said Loya. “If I come in later I either have to drive around until I find something close by, park really far away or risk it and maybe get a ticket.”
74% of respondents consider UTEP’s Parking and Transportation policies and systems either “extremely important” or “very important.” The satisfaction levels were mixed as only 10% are “very satisfied” and 23% “moderately satisfied.”
Meanwhile, 22% said they are “moderately dissatisfied,” and 25% “very dissatisfied.”
Additionally, 61% of respondents preferred the option of open parking at a flat rate, where students would purchase a parking permit for $75 a semester or $150 per year and could park on a first come-first serve basis. 39% favored the assigned parking system that UTEP currently has in place.
Garcia proposed an additional approach where students could buy a pass only when needed.
“A day pass where you still pay to park, but it’s like for a single day cause a lot of the time the people that do have a parking pass don’t even get a guaranteed parking because the garages get full immediately,” said Garcia.
According to UTEP’s Parking and Transportation Department, its mission is to provide reliable, quality, and efficient parking and transportation services that meet the needs of the university. “The University sells parking permits based on International Parking Institute guidelines to ensure maximum use of parking spaces, taking into account vehicle turnover between classes,” said the department in a statement to KTSM.
The Prospector reached out to Parking and Transportation for comment regarding SGA’s student parking survey but did not hear back prior to publishing this issue.
UTEP continues to grow each year with an anticipated 30,000 students in the near future, parking remains a top issue for students.
Ximena Cordero is a staff reporter and may be reached at [email protected]