As the start of the school year comes around, so do the questions regarding parking permits. Students always seem to have the most interest right at the beginning of the school year when permits are being purchased. Eric Foster, the Content And Production Specialist for Commonwealth University at the Bloomsburg campus, gave the inside scoop on all questions parking.
Whether this comes as a surprise to some or not, the University makes a big buck from both permits as well as tickets. Approximately, there has been $87,000 received from permits, and a whopping $113,000 received from fines just in this year of 2023.
Any money received from both permits and fines go towards “roadway maintenance, snow removal and winter maintenance, line painting, paving projects throughout campus, roadway signs, and traffic cones,” according to Foster.
Despite the rushing flow of income to the University from permits and ticket fines, students still show displeasure about permits. Most students dismay come from the fact that many are being denied for certain permits (mainly the Black Lot permits) and being sent to the Maroon Lot or further instead. The reason: walking distance to campus.
The confusion comes from the fact that not only do these students have the academic standing needed for said permit, but also because a lot of these students live at the bottom of Glenn Avenue hill, Irondale, or even farther.
Foster states, “The walking distance perimeter of campus was established more than 20 years ago. During the COVID pandemic, due to a bus driver shortage, we established the Maroon lot which was made for students who live inside the walking perimeter of campus.”
Coming back this fall, however, there is no longer a bus driver shortage and there is an influx of commuter students who live outside of this perimeter. “As a result, those that live in the walking perimeter can no longer purchase a pass. However, they can still use the University shuttle that goes between downtown and campus,” says Foster.
Even though these students are no longer able to purchase permits, Foster encourages students to find the shuttle schedule that can be found online, and gives a reminder that there are pick up locations on both Glenn Avenue and Eyer Street.
Permit denials also impact students with health concerns or disabilities that prohibit them from either walking that far of a distance from campus or using a University shuttle. Luckily, any student who falls under this category can contact the Disabilities Office who will assist them in getting their needed pass as long as they have an authorized document from their physician.
The campus-wide transition to the new Banner and Brightspace systems at the end of the Spring semester, affecting faculty, staff, and students alike, presented challenges, including for the BU Police Department. Issues arose when students had to update their information in the new Banner system for parking permit purchases.
There were challenges, but according to Foster, the department “worked with students personally to resolve those issues.” The entirety of campus stays hopeful that we can become more comfortable with the new systems, especially when it comes to permits.
