Cost And Availability Of Student Parking On The West Bend Of The Twin Cities

I am writing you today to address the cost and availability of student parking specifically on the west bend of the Twin Cities campus. As of right now there is roughly 1600 west bend parking spots open to both students and the public. Half of these parking spots are contracted out through a lottery or by hourly parking. Unfortunately there are only 158 parking spots on the west bank that are offered at a low daily rate. I realize that parking can be rather constraining due to the limited spaces available on campus but it may be beneficial to consider increasing the number of daily parking spots offered.

I feel that parking fees are a little steep specifically for those students who are not able to take advantage of the U pass program offered on campus. These students may find that they are spending exponentially more money than they

• 20% discount off hourly parking for students that are full time and holds a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

I feel that my proposal will help ease financial burdens students may encounter when having to commute for classes. This may allow students with the opportunity to spend more time succeeding in their classes, rather than worrying if they will be able to afford to park.

I understand that there may be some concerns financially when reviewing this proposal. This may be just one idea that addresses the concerns I have for students when trying to afford parking. You may also be concerned with an abundance of students wanting to use the parking ramps. This is why I have suggested just a small discount for those who qualify and not to everyone who attends the University. More people may choose to park in the ramps for shorter periods of time which they may have not have done before the discounted rates. This may actually help recuperate any upfront costs associated with this discount program and continue to bring in a similar revenue