TDM Surcharge
There will always be a shortage of parking spaces for the surplus of individuals who want to purchase parking permits at this university.
Fees, parking lots, stipulations and initiatives will be introduced to combat the problem, but the parking issue will never be eradicated. However, the Department of Transportation Services does believe it can dissuade certain students from seeking parking permits.
Students who live in some off-campus apartment complexes and wish to purchase on-campus parking are required to pay an annual surcharge of $232. The Transportation Demand Management Surcharge applies to the residents of the University View, The Varsity, The Enclave, University Club, Mazza Grandmarc and Courtyards apartment complexes, which have contracts with DOTS to permit Shuttle-UM route stops at the apartment complexes.
Students who live in these apartment buildings and purchase parking through DOTS are considered satellite commuters. An email from DOTS was sent to students who fall under this category informing them about the surcharge. However, DOTS Director David Allen said the surcharge has existed for three years, and it was a student-developed sustainability initiative designed to dissuade students from using parking permits to commute from these apartment complexes to the campus.
Students whom the surcharge affects said they were not informed properly. However, Allen said the surcharge is nothing new, and it is mentioned several times in DOTS parking regulations, which can be found on their website.
While the timing of the surcharge and the method of announcing it to students seem a little hazy, it is an unfortunate yet reasonable DOTS initiative. Students who live in the mentioned apartment complexes can ride Shuttle-UM buses that stop almost right outside the front door. Yes, the buses might not be as convenient as driving to the campus, but it seems unnecessary for the apartments to create contracts with DOTS if residents are going to attempt to purchase parking anyway.
Even though the surcharge is used to deter parking, it also creates a green benefit by having fewer polluting cars commuting to and from the campus.
The main qualm besides the fee of the surcharge satellite commuters seem to have is the lack of Shuttle-UM bus reliability. It is a valid concern that DOTS should prioritize over worrying about the surcharge. In the wake of this event, DOTS should stand firm on the surcharge while working to ensure the punctuality of Shuttle-UM buses at their designated stops.
The surcharge is a reasonable and fair initiative to combat the ever-present parking problem at this university. However, in the future, when satellite commuters are registering for parking, they should be explicitly informed about the surcharge, and maybe there will be a few more open parking spots on campus.
