Parking Problems & Alternatives For University Students
EL PASO, TX. – As the school year kicks off at the University of Texas at El Paso, it’s parking that has emerged as a problem.
But there is a possible solution.ABC-7 got some complaints from students with parking stickers they had paid for who couldn’t find a place to park because others without stickers had taken spaces. Ifstudents want to avoid the hassle all together, there is another option. From the eastside to downtown, students can avoid parking issues, reduce congestion and help the environment by using public transportation.
Sun Metro has resumed their University Express service and they say it’s ideal for passengers commuting toUTEP and theEPCC Rio Grande campuses. Monday through Friday, the University Express leaves the eastside terminal at Cielo Vista Mall starting at 6:45 a.m.and services every 30 minutes after that until 8:45 a.m.
A new pick up/drop off point has been added at Missouri and Kansas for additional service near the downtown area and another at El Paso and 6th Street for students commuting from the Paso del Norte bridge. UTEP officials say they’ve sold around 7,500 parking permits and they expect to sell between 500 to 600 a daythefirstweek of classes.
There are some changes this year concerning parking: they used to sell an unlimited number of permits to certain lots, but this year each lot has a set amount and once that number is reached, no more permits will be sold. Visitors are also no longer allowed to park on central campus. There are now visitor specific lots.
So, if you want to skip allthe hassleand just take the bus, anyone with a valid studentID will pay 50 cents a ride or there is a $20 dollar monthly student pass available.If you go out to the Eastside Transit terminal, there is secure parking available free of charge.
