UW-Madison Transportation Services became over a million dollars richer last year, the result of nearly 53,000 paid parking citations it issued throughout the year.
\Parking on campus is expensive and very hard to find,"" said UW-Madison senior Kelly Arps. ""Whoever is enforcing parking must be making a fortune.""
""The UWTS mandates parking on campus,"" said Eric Goldman, UW-Madison student representative of the Campus Transportation Committee. ""They have been told to be more aggressive on people who aren't parking legally to open up parking spaces.""
This policy of aggressive enforcement resulted in 52,600 parking citations just last year, a number larger than the total UW-Madison undergraduate student population.
""The most frequent ticket is the $20 expired meter,"" Goldman said. ""That's pretty good revenue alone.""
Last year, 35,118 expired meter tickets were paid, totaling $702,360.
""We consider people who are parking illegally, whether it be in a permit-only or handicap stall, expired meter or no parking-zone, to be taking away paying customer's parking,"" said Linda Bladl, administrative policy advisor for UWTS.
According to the UWTS citation report, from Sept. 1, 2003, to Aug. 31, 2004, those tickets together resulted in total revenue of $374,270.
In last year's parking period, the UWTS issued 12,246 permits to faculty, staff, students and departments.
""We go to great distances to find and accommodate parking for our staff and faculty,"" Bladl said. ""But we are unable to match the number of students with number of stalls available.""
Permits now cost anywhere from $425 to $1,015 per year.
""Faculty are paying for location,"" Goldman said. ""When there is such a high demand, there is going to be a higher price. Madison has a choice to raise city taxes or raise parking fees.""
These prices have forced some faculty and students to switch to other forms of transportation.
""I bike to school,"" said Michelle Nelson, professor of journalism and mass communication at UW-Madison. ""My husband and I looked for a house within three miles of campus for this very reason. It's like having a $1,000 salary increase every year.""
Bladl said that all parking fees, whether permit or citation fees, fund construction, maintenance, repair and operation of parking facilities. ""These fees also fund transportation options and programs,"" she said.
According to last year's report, there were 52,584 citations issued and paid, totaling over $1.3 million.
""If you're not supposed to [park] there, don't park there,"" Goldman said.
