Fall parking increases investigated
Jouy Mitchell
Issue date: 4/16/09 Section: News
Although every department on campus is feeling the pain of budget strains, UTC's parking services is considering the needs of students by not raising decal rates this fall.
" We did have a rate increase scheduled this fall, but we backed off of it because of the uncertainty about the tuition increase and the housing increase," Cindee Pulliam, director of Auxiliary Services and Property Management said.
"We know the cost are rising for the students so we try to keep it as low as possible," Pulliam said.
According to Pulliam, the rate increase scheduled was around $3 for the general parking decals.
"What we prefer to do on increases is to do small incremental increases rather than wait so many years and then do a big one," Pulliam said.
Parking services is one of the few departments that is self sufficient because it does not receive money from the university for operating costs.
The revenues generated from parking decals, fine revenue and event revenue are used to pay for all expenses incurred, Pulliam said.
"Parking decals are too high," Quincy Jones, a Memphis freshman, said, "$200 for a parking decal is too much."
Jones said, he does not have a car at UTC because of parking costs.
Pulliam said students need to have realistic expectations when it comes to parking decal costs.
"Ride the city service with your UTC ID free," Pulliam said. "That's one of the things we put in place to try to encourage students, faculty and staff as well that maybe you don't need to bring a car to campus."
Pulliam said building new parking garages would increase parking decal rates, but said she hopes the university acquisition of Bryan Funeral Home on McCallie Avenue will add a general parking lot for students by this fall.
The university is finalizing plans for the area surrounding Engle Stadium, but the parking lot is a general lot that students can utilize Pulliam said.
" We did have a rate increase scheduled this fall, but we backed off of it because of the uncertainty about the tuition increase and the housing increase," Cindee Pulliam, director of Auxiliary Services and Property Management said.
"We know the cost are rising for the students so we try to keep it as low as possible," Pulliam said.
According to Pulliam, the rate increase scheduled was around $3 for the general parking decals.
"What we prefer to do on increases is to do small incremental increases rather than wait so many years and then do a big one," Pulliam said.
Parking services is one of the few departments that is self sufficient because it does not receive money from the university for operating costs.
The revenues generated from parking decals, fine revenue and event revenue are used to pay for all expenses incurred, Pulliam said.
"Parking decals are too high," Quincy Jones, a Memphis freshman, said, "$200 for a parking decal is too much."
Jones said, he does not have a car at UTC because of parking costs.
Pulliam said students need to have realistic expectations when it comes to parking decal costs.
"Ride the city service with your UTC ID free," Pulliam said. "That's one of the things we put in place to try to encourage students, faculty and staff as well that maybe you don't need to bring a car to campus."
Pulliam said building new parking garages would increase parking decal rates, but said she hopes the university acquisition of Bryan Funeral Home on McCallie Avenue will add a general parking lot for students by this fall.
The university is finalizing plans for the area surrounding Engle Stadium, but the parking lot is a general lot that students can utilize Pulliam said.
