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New Pay Stations Provide Convenient Parking Option for Employees, Students and Visitors
Aug. 19, 2009
Written by Becky Couch
MOSCOW, Idaho – Students, faculty, staff and visitors returning to the University of Idaho this fall will notice recently installed pay station units in three different parking areas on campus.
Parking and Transportation Services has converted two metered areas and a timed parking area to pay lots. These changes provide an increased level of service and convenience to customers while better managing parking resources by maximizing utilization of valuable parking areas.
The new pay station units offer an alternative payment option by accepting credit/debit cards. Users may pay for any amount of time necessary, and variable time parking allows PTS to offer longer-term parking at reduced hourly rates.
"Pay stations will allow us to provide better service and convenience to users of the parking system," said Carl Root, director of Parking and Transportation Services. "In addition, these pay stations allow for efficient management and operation, including a reduction in resources spent enforcing, managing and gathering user data."
Recent trends show that credit or debit cards are more readily available than coins; the pay stations will accept both coins and credit/debit card payment. Pay station lots provide an alternative parking option for visitors or infrequent automobile commuters. The pay stations are available for use by all faculty, staff, students and visitors to the campus.
There are three parking areas that have been converted to pay station lots: the lot west of the Student Recreation Center; the parking lot north of the Student Union Building; and on-street parking on upper Rayburn Street. Survey data confirmed consistent underutilization of these areas, as well as an acknowledgement that these areas serve the needs of daily commuters. Some 59 individual parking meters were removed to convert these areas to pay station lots.
The current hourly rates were determined with the intent of maximizing utilization of the pay station lots. Some of the hourly rates are lower than the individual parking meter rate, which is currently $1 per hour. The hourly rates may be adjusted throughout the year, based on average utilization, to maximize utilization of the pay station lots. The hourly rate varies based on the time of day and the location.
PTS has a long-term goal of eliminating individual parking meters and replacing them with pay stations or converting the spaces to a specific type to meet a different need. At this time, there are no plans to purchase additional pay stations.
For additional information on the pay stations, visit www.uidaho.edu/parking.
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About the University of Idaho
Founded in 1889, the University of Idaho is the state’s flagship higher-education institution and its principal graduate education and research university, bringing insight and innovation to the state, the nation and the world. University researchers attract nearly $100 million in research grants and contracts each year; the University of Idaho is the only institution in the state to earn the prestigious Carnegie Foundation ranking for high research activity. The university’s student population includes first-generation college students and ethnically diverse scholars. Offering more than 130 degree options in 10 colleges, the university combines the strengths of a large university with the intimacy of small learning communities. For information, visit www.uidaho.edu.
Media Contact: Becky Couch, Parking and Transportation Services, (208) 885-6424, rcouch@uidaho.edu
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