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Good news for campus car commuters

There will be no increase in parking fees for 2009-10

11 June 2009

Parking and Transportation (P&T) has announced that there will be no increase in parking-permit fees for 2009-10.

"We know everyone across campus is feeling the effects of this bad economy," says Seamus Wilmot, acting director of Parking and Transportation, "and we are glad we were able to structure our FY 2009-10 budget so we didn't need to increase the burden on permit holders."

Veteran parkers will note some changes to familiar procedures in the coming year, however. First, renewal will be automatic for current permit-holders. Also, hangtag parking permits used last year should not be discarded. Continuing permit-holders will receive a 2009-10 validation sticker, similar to the kind issued for license plates by the state DMV, to update their existing hangtags. These will be sent by mail during June to current permit-holders.

WageWorks, the online service that handles much of the campus's pre-tax-benefits administration, will mail validation stickers to existing permit-holders before current permits expire on June 30. Employees are encouraged to log on to WageWorks' website to ensure that their selected enrollments are accurately reflected and that WageWorks has their current home address for mailing the new validation sticker. While on the site, employees may also set up payroll deductions for their preferred transportation options (parking permit or Bear Pass).

Employees purchasing a parking permit for the first time, or after a period without one, will find detailed instructions for setting up an account with WageWorks on the Parking and Transportation website. You will need your employee ID number and your campus e-mail address to create your account.

If you are purchasing a new permit, once you have registered with WageWorks and purchased your permit or Bear Pass, visit P&T's offices at 2150 Kittredge St. to pick up your hangtag and/or validation sticker, or to complete a release form for your Bear Pass.

Parking rates and transportation-program options may vary based on the terms of individual collective-bargaining agreements.