UW Oshkosh Parking Services is a self-supported service that provides parking permits to students on campus, but there are positives and negatives that students find when using it.

Being a self-supported service means that they are not funded by the state, the University budget, student fees or tuition dollars.

Issues that students face can be minor or major, depending on how each student looks at it.

One of these is the availability of parking spots.

UWO junior Becca Sippel said there are a lot of parking spots that are easy to find, but they can be inconvenient for some students who are residents.

“I feel like if you live on campus and you have, like, the regular residential one, it can be hard to find a spot,” Sippel said. “And you know we have that parking lot across the bridge. So I feel like some of them are not the most accessible either.”

UWO freshman commuter Ashley McFarland said the parking situation is good but that there needs to be more lots for commuters.

“I know the ones over by Arts & Communications and Polk Library, they’re usually small,” McFarland said. “I can’t usually get a spot until late afternoon.”

UWO senior commuter Raunel Lopez said parking is fine if you know when to come to school.

“You really have to find the perfect time, honestly,” Lopez said. “Like when people are leaving, people are coming.”

Finding the right time is the key to ensuring a good parking spot, but sometimes when students don’t find a parking spot, the cost for permits seems a little too much.

Sippel said the price of a permit is reasonable except when it appears there are more cars than spots.

“It’s not terrible, but it seems overpriced especially since I feel it’s overcrowded and hard to find somewhere to park,” Sippel said. “I feel like that’s a lot if you do have to walk across the bridge.”

McFarland agreed and said that lowering the costs slightly could compensate for limited spots or inconvenience.

“I think they could lower each cost by like $20 to $50 each,” McFarland said.

Lopez, however, said the pricing is reasonable compared to other UW campuses.

“I think it’s pretty fair,” Lopez said. “I actually went to UW-Milwaukee and I know for their semester it’s, like $500 so it’s pretty outrageous.”

Although there isn’t always the problem of finding a spot, there is the problem of potentially getting a ticket.

McFarland said she received a ticket for pulling forward in a stall and said the price of it seemed outrageous for the offense.

“I just think getting a ticket for pulling forward is a bit stupid, but that’s just me,” McFarland said. “It was unreasonable that I got $50 for just pulling forward.”

Lopez and Sippel have also received tickets but only for $15.

Sippel, however, agreed that having a ticket cost $50 can be unfair.

“I feel like that’s a little much especially if it’s like a one-time or first-time thing,” Sippel said.

Between finding spots, paying for a permit, receiving tickets and paying tickets, there are some simple solutions to help satisfy all students.

Lopez said opening more lots would be helpful, if it is realistic and possible for the school to carry out.

“I know there are lots that aren’t open to commuters, so maybe opening up those spots would help a little more,” Lopez said.

Sippel said more parking spots on the street could be an option but also making the lots less restricted to certain people and opening them up to every permit holder.

“You might need more residential than commuter or more commuter than residential,” Sippel said. “I feel like having them restricted makes it harder.”

UWO Parking Services has its benefits, but there are some flaws that need to be worked out to make sure students are satisfied.

Correction:

Ashley’s $50.00 ticket was for parking in a signed reserved lot,. It was not, as she stated, for pulling through a spot. Ashley did get in contact with us regarding her ticket well before this article was written, she is aware that her ticket was for parking in a reserved lot. I am not sure where her confusion came from however, we have never and will never ticket someone $50.00 for pulling through/backing into a parking space.