All Posts Tagged With: "Parking"
The university’s war on the automobile
The new political cause on campus? More parking, please.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Krejci on Flickr
From the 21st Maclean’s University Rankings issue. Get your copy from newsstands now.
Watching Tommy Douglass on YouTube, one can’t help but recall Matthew Broderick’s legendary rendering of a spoiled but highly resourceful high school student in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Douglass, a fourth-year University of Regina student, has a boyish face and a sleek businessman’s attitude. And he’s on a mission: to redress his school’s parking woes. “Until now, I’ve never had a single complaint. I like my school . . . it’s ideal,” he says in one of several videos he’s used to draw attention to the issue. But, he adds, “we are seriously, seriously messing up parking.”
Against the backdrop of his student bedroom—complete with a laundry basket and a picture of a blond bikini babe tacked to the wall—he shows viewers two of three $65 tickets he recently received for parking in a staff lot. “I am not going to pay a single ticket,” he says defiantly. He’d gladly pay for one of the school’s parking permits, he adds, but the school has already run out.
Parking woes hit University of Regina
School oversells parking passes by 25 per cent
Photo courtesy of Kevin Krejci on Flickr
Students with vehicles are circling the parking lots to hunt for spots at the University of Regina — and they say it’s making them late for classes.
Many are frustrated because they had purchased parking passes in advance, but the university sold 25 per cent more passes than there are spots.
As many as 6,250 drivers could compete for 5,000 spaces at any given time, reports Global Regina. It’s unlikely that all drivers would ever show up simultaneously, but demand for spots is clearly outstripping supply.
The university’s population grew by 11 per cent this year, but Thomas Chase, Vice President (Academic) says that its residences and classrooms are ready to handle the growth.
Parking is increasingly difficult at other schools too. A Dalhousie University professor quit his job in August because, he said, it’s nearly impossible to find a parking spot. There are only 2,000 stalls for 20,000 staff and students at the Halifax school. Dalhousie sells as many as 3,300 passes per year.
But drivers aren’t frustrated at all universities. Some schools have ample — indeed affordable — parking. To see for yourself, click here for the 10 most (and least) expensive parking passes.
Dalhousie professor quits over parking
School has 2,000 spots for 20,000 staff, faculty and students
Photo courtesy of Kevin Krejci on Flickr
A Dalhousie University professor told CBC News that a severe parking shortage forced him to quit.
That’s how bad things have become for commuters on certain Canadian campuses.
Dan Middlemiss was in a long line on Monday to buy one of only 2,000 parking passes available to the 20,000 students, staff and faculty at the university in Halifax. But after waiting more than an hour, he quit the line in disgust and then quit his job too. Middlemiss had taught for 31 years as part of the Centre for Foreign Policy Studies. He explained his problem: “I have to get on the road around 6:30 to 7:00 to get an assured parking spot somewhere so I can get here to teach at 2:30 in the afternoon,” he said. “It’s ridiculous.”
The school is planning to turn one of its lots into a reserved parking area for about 200 drivers and to install 100 new bike racks there too, meaning fewer spots for regular drivers. A parking garage is also in the early stages of planning. Clearly, it can’t come soon enough for Middlemiss.
Other universities are struggling to provide more parking too. The University of Victoria is facing opposition from the municipal council in Saanich, B.C. where they want to erect a 505-stall seven-story parking garage to deal with cars that will come to its planned 2,100 seat gymnasium.
The high demand for parking spots means high costs at many schools — more than $100 per month at some. But at other schools, parking is still very affordable. To see for yourself, check out our list of the Top 10 Most (and Least) Expensive Schools to Park at in Canada.
Top 10 most (and least) expensive parking permits
Click to find out who charges $25 and who charges $1,000+
Photo courtesy of Canadian Starhawk on Flickr
Most students walk or take a bus to school, but some just need to have a car. For one, it makes grocery shopping much easier. It also tends to boost a student’s popularity at a time when it’s crucial to meet new friends. Oh, and it provides an easy way to visit mom and dad on the weekends. (If angling for a car, don’t forget to remind mom and dad about that important point.)
Whatever a student’s reason, bringing a car to school can be very expensive — especially in big cities. Or it can be suprisingly affordable, especially in Eastern Canada. It costs less to park for eight months at some maritime schools than it does to park for a weekend in Toronto.
That’s why we’ve decided to show you the Top 10 cheapest schools for parking passes, followed by the Top 10 most expensive.
Top 10 schools with the cheapest parking
1. Memorial University — $25
2. St. Thomas University — $75
3. University of Prince Edward Island — $82
4. University of New Brunswick — $94
5. Trent University — $99
6. Acadia University — $110
7. Algoma University — $121
8. Bishop’s University — $132
9. Lakehead University — $136
10. Brandon University — $145
Top 10 schools with the most expensive parking
1. Ryerson University — $1017
2. McGill University — $990
3. University of Toronto — $760
4. University of Ottawa — $744
5. University of British Columbia — $640
6. University of Calgary — $632
7. University of Winnipeg — $630
8. York University — $616
9. Queen’s University — $608
10. Université de Montréal — $546
This analysis is based on the lowest rate for an eight-month permit (or year-long permit where applicable) at 49 Canadian universities that are profiled in The Maclean’s Guide to Canadian Universities. Note that because these are the cheapest lots available to students, they may also be the first to sell-out. That’s right — it could cost even more to park.
This article originally stated that the lowest parking rate at the University of Regina was $640. That figure was incorrect. Maclean’s On Campus regrets the error.
UBC one step closer to being a city
Class-action parking lawsuit goes out with a whimper
UBC students holding out hope that their parking tickets issued by the university would have the same value as Zimbabwe currency were surely disappointed last week.
The Supreme Court of Canada tossed out a class-action appeal against the University of British Columbia, meaning the university will not have to repay the approximately $4 million they’ve collected in parking fees since 1990.
Last year at this time, it looked as though those dinged by the university over the years would get payback. The BC Supreme Court ruled that UBC, which isn’t under the municipal jurisdiction of any city, didn’t have the legal right to issue tickets/fine people/tow cars as it pleased. This greatly upset UBC, for the valid reason that they would lose $4 million, but also for the petty reason that it never like being told it can’t act like a city.
Luckily for the university, the provincial government stepped in last year to amend the University Act, allowing all BC universities to have jurisdiction over parking on their campuses. A few appeals by the university later against the original court ruling, and suddenly free parking only exists on a Monopoly board once again.
Carleton hopes to spell end to parking tickets
A pilot project is underway that would allow users to plug parking meters by text message
Users of Carleton University parking lots may soon be able to plug meters with their cellphones. The university has partnered with Espirity Inc. to pilot, over the summer, technology that would see drivers send a text message when they want to fill a parking meter, rather than returning to their cars, get a ticket and place it on the dashboard. If successful, and implemented across the university, this could be the first time that the text-messaging technology would be used for 100 per cent of parking transactions in Canada.
To make use of the application, users sign up at iParked.ca to submit payment and vehicle information. After arriving at a lot customers would send a text indicating how long they wish to park for. When the meter runs out, a message is sent to customers who can extend their time remotely. The technology was developed by Carleton graduate and computer science professor Dwight Deugo. “There is no need to leave important meetings, lunch dates or classes to fill the parking meter. Users can extend their parking time from wherever they happen to be,” Duego said.
City councillor tells York students to not pay parking tickets
University stands by policy of withholding transcripts from students who don’t pay up
According to the CBC, Toronto city councillor Howard Moscoe is telling York University students to not pay parking tickets given out by the school. He says the tickets are illegal, as only the City of Toronto can issue parking tickets.
Moscoe is also advising students to not give the university any car regisration or license plate information.
York University is standing by its policy to issue parking tickets on its property, and will withhold transcripts from students who haven’t paid up.
“It’s identical to when you renew your taxi or driver’s licences. Unless you pay your fines, you don’t get it [renewed] and that’s because that’s their last opportunity to actually get you before you depart. And I think we are in the same situation,” says university spokesman Richard Fisher.
If York continues to issue fines, the city may take the case to court, warns Moscoe.
For more on-campus parking drama at the University of British Columbia, click here.
“Free Parking” about to end at UBC & UVic
While the legality of UBC issuing parking tickets is still in limbo, the university, along with UVic, has decided to reinstitute the practice after a four-month reprieve
Four months ago, University of British Columbia students scored one for casual civil disobedience when the B.C. Supreme Court ruled that the university had been illegally issuing parking tickets on campus for years, and had to pay back more than $4 million worth of fines. The judge in the case ruled that while UBC had the right to tow and impound vehicles parked illegally, they didn’t actually have the right to issue parking tickets (Sidenote: UBC often likes to pretend it has the same powers as a city, without any of the sticky issues that come with “democracy” and “accountability”).
In any case, the decision was appealed, but in the short term both UBC and UVic decided to stop issuing parking tickets, instead simply towing a very very small percentage of illegally parked cars. From my experience, it did little to stop students from taking the risk. However, the B.C. Court of Appeals decided to stay the part of the decision that dealt with the fines, which meant that UBC and UVic could reinstitute them until the appeal was resolved. And it appears that they’ve decided to do just that. UVic announced yesterday that the fines will be coming back on July 20th, and today, UBC followed suit. I’ve been told by Scott Macrae, executive director of public affairs at UBC, that this notice will be going on UBC’s website shortly:
Parking fines resume July 20
UBC will resume charging fines for violations of the Parking Regulations on July 20.
UBC had ceased charging fines at its Vancouver and Kelowna campuses as a result of a decision of the British Columbia Supreme Court on March 30, 2009 regarding certain issues in a class action. That decision found that, although UBC can tow vehicles parked in violation of the Parking Regulations and charge reasonable towing and storage fees, UBC does not have the power to charge fines under the University Act. UBC appealed the decision on its power to charge fines, and on July 10, the British Columbia Court of Appeal ordered a stay of the decision until disposition of the appeal.
The stay enables UBC, pending the appeal, to continue to enforce the Parking Regulations by charging fines for violations, as it has done for many years. Persons who violate the Parking Regulations can once again expect to receive Traffic Notices charging fines. In addition, violators will be subject to towing as set out in the Parking Regulations.
The UBC Parking Regulations are available on the web at http://www.parking.ubc.ca
UBC can’t impose pricey parking penalties, court rules
Could class-action lawsuits against other Canadian universities be next?
A very interesting ruling out of British Columbia yesterday states that the University of British Columbia does not have the legal authority to issue parking fines and must refund individuals whom paid the fines in the past.
It appears the ruling is based solely on provincial laws. This raises the question: will similar laws in other provinces leave universities across Canada exposed to a similar class-action lawsuit? I’d expect we’ll find out very soon, as there is a lot of money to be made for any law firm that could successfully win a similar case.
From my experience, universities are very heavy-handed in their enforcement of parking regulations and fines. The fact they are able to withdrawal academic services and withhold marks over parking fines has always stuck me as an abuse of power.
It is because of these abuses of power that I cheer the B.C. court ruling.
UBC ordered to return $4 million in parking fines
University to appeal ruling that found it unlawfully gave parking tickets since 1990
A judge has found the University of British Columbia guilty of unlawfully issuing parking tickets since 1990, and has ordered the school to pay back more than $4 million in fines to thousands of parking miscreants.
Coleman on Campus: UBC can’t impose pricey parking penalties, court rules
The class-action lawsuit was brought to the B.C. courts in 2006 by representative plaintiff Daniel Barbour, a Vancouver-based chartered accountant.
Barbour’s two-door Jaguar was impounded while it was legally parked on Wesbrook Mall on the university campus. The school ordered him to pay $200 dollars to get his car back, alleging that he had violated the parking rules on at least one other occasion.
Until the start of the trial, UBC had argued that the fines were lawfully collected under the University Act, but then changed its tune, arguing that there were “private law justifications” for the regulations.
During the case, it was revealed that out of a total 432,847 tickets that were issued between January 1990 and December 2005, more than half remain unpaid.
Out of all the tickets issued, about 10 percent of license plates were responsible for nearly 40 per cent of the university’s parking violations.
In his judgment, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Richard Goepel said that although the university does retain the right to remove vehicles that are improperly parked, and can also recover the incurred costs, that the fines were far in excess of the damage caused to the school
“I’m extremely pleased,” Barbour told The Vancouver Province. “The court has recognized that UBC has been unlawfully collecting fines and unlawfully towing cars solely because people had unpaid tickets. The court has found that those are both illegal activities.”
Sharon Matthews, Barbour’s lawyer, told the paper that there were still several issues to be determined, which included setting up a system for people to come forward to recoup their money.
UBC public relations spokesman Scott Macrae told The Globe and Mail that the university plans to appeal the decision, saying it hampers the school’s ability to crack down on those who abuse on campus parking. This decision means that towing will now be the school’s only option for dealing with a car that is illegally parked.
“What we dispute is the judgment which says we cannot charge a fine for someone who abuses the regulation,” said Macrae, who said the money is used strictly for parking enforcement expenses. He says the school would rather be able to fine and not go to the “last resort” of towing.
