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Students at Oklahoma, Chico face parking fee hikes
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NORMAN, Okla. – Students standing in line for University of Oklahoma parking permits last Monday were in for a surprise once they reached the end of the line. After three years of paying $92 for the right to park on campus, all student permits for the 2000-2001 year will cost $103.
The $11 increase is part of a three-year plan to finance a new parking garage being built between Oklahoma Memorial Stadium and the South Oval, said Theta Dempsey, parking and transit administrator. The 800-space garage was scheduled to open in late August or early September of 2002.
After today those permits will be necessary for drivers who don’t want to be slapped with a $20 citation for parking without displaying a permit or parking in an area not covered by the permit. The $5 citation hike is also part of the plan to finance the garage.
“I’ve been ripped off,” said mechanical engineering senior Ashley Harris. “I was like, unbelievable.’ ”
Harris still went ahead and bought a permit, but was slightly disgruntled about paying for a garage he will probably never park in.
Meanwhile, in order to curb the parking problem at California State at Chico, officials have increased the cost of parking decals to $72 per semester in an effort to fund alternative transportation programs and buy property for future parking lots.
After buying a decal, Zack Waddle, a mechanical engineering student, said the price was high but reasonable.
“For a (semester) of parking, who can blame them for asking that much?”
A first-year student, Waddle said he brought a car to Chico so he can go back home easier.
“I also brought a bike and a skateboard with me,” he said. “What can I say, I guess I like wheels.”
Copyright c2000 The Orion via U-Wire
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