February 11, 2005 UNT Inhouse publication: Policy changes designed to make parking at UNT more user friendly

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Policy changes designed to make parking at UNT more user friendly

New policies implemented by the UNT Parking Office are intended to reduce frustration associated with parking on a growing campus where convenient spaces are difficult to find, says Scott Kangas, associate director of parking services. He says the office is taking steps to make the parking experience a little less problematic.

"We are making changes to better serve the UNT parking community," Kangas says.

One of those changes went into effect this semester. The parking office now allows employees who are cited because they have forgotten their parking permit to have that citation changed to a warning once a year.

"Based on recommendations made by the Staff Council, we decided to make this change," Kangas says. "We've put in place new tracking software that allows us to keep up with who has used the warning and who hasn't. To take advantage of the policy, the citation holder must come to the parking office in person and request the change."

The free pass policy is not the only change to come to the parking office this year. Last fall, parking officers were armed with digital cameras so that pictorial documentation could be made of parking infractions, and a priority was placed on customer service skills when hiring new parking clerks.

This fall, the UNT community will also see a change in the way parking permits are displayed on vehicles. Permits will no longer be available as hang tags but as plastic cling-type decals that can be moved from one vehicle to another. Kangas says this is designed to alleviate the problem with hang tags falling from or being knocked off of rear-view mirrors.

In addition to these, Kangas says there are more changes proposed for future implementation, including allowing the UNT community to pay for parking citations and parking permits online.