UTEP students say parking problems on campus persist

Students at the University of Texas at El Paso are reporting parking problems as the new semester begins.

A concerned mother called ABC-7 to report her daughter purchased a “green parking permit” at a cost of $148, but was unable to find a parking space in the green lot Monday morning. The woman’s daughter had to pay for parking in a private lot off Sun Bowl Drive. The daughter reported seeing vehicles without a parking permit, and vehicles that appeared to have no parking permit, parked in the green lot Monday.

When the mother reached out to UTEP’s parking department, she was placed on hold three times.

ABC-7 asked students how their parking experience has been so far and a student said, “With the increase in students, there’s a lack of parking spots now.”

A story published by UTEP’s University Communications states, “The University of Texas at El Paso experienced a significant increase in total enrollment for the 2017-18 academic year, jumping from 23,922 students in fall 2016 to an all-time high of 25,078.”

ABC-7 reached out to UTEP officials Monday, and they sent ABC-7 the following statement: “…staff in UTEP’s Parking and Transportation Services Office have been preparing for weeks for the surge in the number of vehicles that converge on campus as the new term gets underway.”

ABC-7 noticed security for UTEP’s parking department on patrol this week. “We are just helping out the students, giving them advice on where to park, how to get to classes, what’s needed on their cars, decal, temporary decals,” said Eric Manriquez.

After receiving UTEP’s statement, ABC-7 responded with a list of specific questions regarding parking,

Here are a few of those questions:

1. What have you done to prepare for the parking chaos of the first week?
2. Is there an education/ grace period before giving students tickets.
3. There was an issue of overselling parking permits last year, is this another issue this year? What have you learned since last year regarding this issue?
4. How many tickets before you there are harsher punishments? (boots, towing, getting EPPD involved)
5. How do you plan to regulate/enforce parking?
6. Can you explain how parking works. What is the process?

The university has not responded to the questions.