UCLA CARPOOL PARKING PERMIT STATISTICS Last
fall, Parking services issued 822 carpool permits to 1,750
students. Of these, 18 students were caught abusing their permits
and had their parking privileges revoked for two years.
SOURCE: UCLA Parking Services
Original by JACOB LIAO/Daily Bruin Web Adaptation by MONICA
KWONG/Daily Bruin Senior Staff
By Scott B. Wong
Daily Bruin Contributor
Carpool permit abuse may be the only option left to guarantee
parking on campus, students say.
Shareef Nahas, a physical sciences graduate student who
pays $180 per quarter to park in Lot 6, attributes the abuse
to the high cost of parking.
On multiple occasions, Nahas has driven into his assigned lot
and spent more than an hour waiting for a spot to open up.
“Parking (costs) are so high ““ it definitely
influences people to scam,” he said. “If parking is
$500 per year, why would people want to pay if you can’t even
find parking when you get there?”
Last year, Nahas was assigned to Lot 3, but classes on the
opposite side of campus made it difficult for him to get there on
time.
“It was a long way to walk,” said Nahas, who noted
that carpoolers have priority in parking lot choice.
“I can see why people would scam,” he said.
Parking Services offers incentives for carpooling, including
priority parking and a discount on permits.
“Valid carpoolers that apply on time are guaranteed
parking and they get their first available lot choice,” said
Renee Fortier, associate director of transportation services.
“They are carpooling, so they also get a two-for-one
price.”
A commuter student permit costs $144 per quarter, while a
residence hall student permit costs $180.
In comparison, a two-person carpool permit costs $126 per
quarter, and decreases to $90 when three people carpool.
But there is a heavy penalty for students looking to cheat the
permit system, Fortier said.
In fall 1999, out of 171 carpool permit audits, 18 students had
their parking privileges revoked for two years, Fortier said.
Random parking permit audits, which check for the
commuter’s address, job, student identification and logistics
of the carpool, are conducted on every one in five permit holders,
she said.
Students living within walking distances ““ specifically
90024 and parts of 90025 zip codes ““ are automatically
ineligible to receive carpool permits.
Despite random checks, the carpool program is largely dependent
on the honor system, making it difficult to regulate permit holders
who drive to school alone.
“There is no real way to ensure carpoolers actually
carpool,” Fortier said.
The carpool criteria for carpoolers is not strict, according to
Caryn McCurchin, a fifth-year African American studies student who
parks at the Rite Aid lot in Westwood.
“You can ask a friend who isn’t applying for parking
to fill out an application with you,” she said. “You
just have to have two signatures and two addresses.”
Another student explained what he said were inherent flaws of
the audit system ““ that it is easy to circumvent the
audit.
“When they audit you, you can just provide them with one
or two proofs of your home address, like a credit card bill,”
said Tim Diep, a fourth-year electrical engineering student.
Andrea Anderson, a fifth-year biochemistry student who parks in
Lot 4, said those who commute and who don’t have time or
money to move their cars every two hours in the meters are
suffering the most.
“Parking is limited for the people who deserve it the
most,” Anderson said. “As students, we try to get to
school to learn, but with such limited parking, it’s
difficult for many students to even get to class.”
One student said he isn’t affected by carpoolers who cheat
the system.
Although it takes him one hour to commute from Glendale every
morning and an additional 20 minutes to get to class from Lot 32,
William Eap, a fourth-year history student, said he remains unfazed
by those abusing the carpool program.
“It doesn’t bother me that people are
cheating,” he said. “I’m fine with how the buses
run.”
Citing problems he experienced during his two years of
carpooling, Eap said it can be more of a hindrance than a help.
“You have to meet someone at their house; they might be
late or you might be late,” Eap said. “Then you have to
match class schedules ““ you’re getting to school
earlier or staying at school later than you need to.”