UTEP Parking Demand: Students share opinions on UTEP’s parking permit prices ahead of Fall semester

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- On Wednesday, July 30, the University of Texas at El Paso began the sale of parking permits for the upcoming fall and spring semesters, with more than 7,000 people waiting online to make their purchase.

According to UTEP's website, parking permits currently range between $150 and $400 per year, depending on the desired permit by each student.

ABC-7 spoke to UTEP students and asked them what they thought of the current parking permit prices and the options provided by the university.

Ryan Clark, a current UTEP student, told ABC-7 that the high demand for parking permits will probably make him look at different options from the one he has selected for the past year.

“As a two-time garage user, I was pretty upset yesterday when I logged on at 930, and there were 7000 people waiting in front of me," said Clark.

Clark mentioned he did not mind paying high prices for parking spaces in UTEP's garages because his car would remain under cooler temperatures. However, Clark also said that the prices for parking anywhere outside of a garage were expensive, considering the high temperatures and distances.

Megan Maiella, another UTEP student, said she believes the prices are expensive for students.

“It is pretty pricey, especially being a student, because we already are paying a bunch of fees for our tuition,” said Maiella.

Maiella told ABC-7 she selected one of the parking permits further away due to pricing and other health benefits like exercising by walking longer distances to classes.

ABC-7 also spoke to neighbors near UTEP's residential areas who say they are affected by students who choose not to buy parking permits and walk long distances by parking in front of their homes.

James Ball, a resident near UTEP without a driveway, told ABC-7 the parking situation in his neighborhood is a "parking war" during the fall and spring semesters since students fill up the streets.

“We'll put a garbage can out there to block it if we leave. And I've come here and caught people trying to pull that out, and I've gone down there and put it right back," said Ball on the efforts he makes to keep his parking space.

ABC-7 reached out to the UTEP for an interview to learn more about the high parking demand, including costs in comparison to previous years, and if the university has enough parking capacity to keep up with the high demand based on students enrolled. We are currently awaiting an update after UTEP noted our request.

UPDATE: The University of Texas at El Paso did not have anyone available for an on-camera interview but were able to answer some questions.

According to UTEP officials, the university has a total of 8,620 parking spaces, and prices have not changed in comparison to last year.

ABC-7 asked UTEP if the amount of parking spots available was enough to meet the demand for parking permits sold to students. The university responded by saying, in part, quote:

"The University sells parking permits based on International Parking Institute guidelines to ensure maximum use of parking spaces, taking into account vehicle turnover between classes."