Effective July 1, parking rates at Saint Louis University will increase to cover costs for maintaining the parking system, which currently operates at a deficit.
The increases for general parking range from $30 for part-time commuters to $45 for residents. Under the new system’s general parking rates, residents will pay $375 per year. Full-time commuters will pay $295, and part-time commuters will pay $250.
Preferred parking for students, faculty and staff in Laclede Garage will increase by $70 to $570 per year.
Faculty and staff rates will increase as well. Reserved parking-the highest fee-will increase by $125 to $1,025. The lowest fee-general parking for part-time faculty and staff-will increase by $30 to $250 per year.
According to Rob Altholz, vice president for business and finance, the parking system generates a revenue of approximately $3 million, versus $3.7 million in operating costs. “The basic theory that we’ve worked with during the past three years is that the parking revenues should cover the parking expenses. That just makes sense,” Altholz said.
Costs associated with the parking program include general administrative costs, employee salaries, public safety, maintenance and debt service on bonds. “We don’t aim to make a profit,” said Kathleen Brady, vice president for facilities management and civic affairs. “This is a break-even situation.”
Both Altholz and Brady noted that tuition dollars from the University’s general operating revenue were, essentially, subsidizing the parking system’s deficit. “The way I look at it is, no student should have to subsidize my parking,” Brady said.
“Three years ago, the University made a commitment not to subsidize parking anymore,” said Mike Cappel, president of the Student Government Association. “With increases in costs, there was a need to raise the rates to prevent using tuition revenue.” Cappel said that compared to other urban parking environments, the University’s rates are “very reasonable.”
Chris Regan, director of service operations, said that the Parking Planning Advisory Committee considered two options: either an across-the-board percentage raise, or incremental raises. The Committee, which includes two student representatives, designed the rate increases to be as fair and as low as possible, Regan added.
One of those student representatives, law school student Richard Sykora, said that he is not in favor of any percentage increase, but he does support the committee’s decision. “I’m especially concerned with increases in parking costs when there’s no parking by the northwest end of campus,” Sykora said. “[Ann Benson, manager of parking and card services] was adamant that she had done everything she could to cut costs.”
Benson noted that the University does not suffer from a lack of parking space. “We have sufficient parking on campus. We have some inconvenient parking on campus,” she said, referring most notably to the Olive Garage, located on the east end of campus.
“Students obviously want parking near their res halls and west of Grand . the Olive Garage is not as convenient for students who live in the dorms,” Benson said.
As for those who may view the increased rates as higher prices for the same number of parking spaces, Benson said that the addition of new lots and spaces would similarly affect the price charged for parking.
Brady said that even though rates are “natually going to go up, because part of them are personnel-driven, we do try and look at ways to keep the costs at a toll.” For instance, the staff in one of the garages will be reduced by two positions.
Regan said that although some may opt against using the University’s parking system, most returnees come back to the system within the first year. Reasons include the risk of having items stolen from cars parked on the street, as well as the risk of getting ticketed for parking violations. “We feel that [the parking system] offers safety and protection,” Regan said.
Several areas appear to be potential sites for additional parking spaces; for instance, the SLU-owned Marina & Feathers buildings located at Grand and Lindell boulevards. “Whatever goes there has to have parking,” Brady said. “I don’t think we’re going to attract a developer there who would want to build something and not provide parking.” The idea of turning the “Sculpture Garden” at the corner of Laclede and Vandeventer avenues has also been “kicked around from time to time,” but the feedback that Facilities Services has received has been that students want to continue use of that green space for Spring Fever. The former Colorado restaurant lot-currently in use as a general parking lot-is slated as the site for a future restaurant.
“We really do hope to get a restaurant to move in there,” Brady said, “because there’s such a lack of available restaurants for faculty and staff to walk to.”
Two parking changes will also take effect in the summer. The Hickory West garage, located on the Health Sciences Campus, will become a preferred parking area, reserved from 2 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for garage permit holders only. Visitor parking will be relocated to the Hickory East garage. Xavier Lot-located between O’Brien House and Xavier Annex-will change from a premium to a reserved parking area, 24 hours a day, year-round. Xavier permits will be required at all times to park on that lot.
