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Davis

Davis, California

Monday, March 18, 2024

Letter to the Editor

Should students pay more for parking?

To the Editor:

Re: TAPS to increase parking permit rates starting July 1 (news story, May. 27):

Students who live in-town should be charged more for parking passes or not even be able to acquire one at all depending on where they live in relation to campus. Davis understandably wants to limit vehicle traffic and has one of the best transit systems in the state — so why not charge locals more to buy a parking permit and promote more use of Unitrans?  

A faculty acquaintance of mine said that TAPS wouldn’t even sell him a parking permit because he lives in West Village — wouldn’t you think the same rule should apply to students who live within a certain vicinity to campus?

I myself cannot even afford a parking pass at UCD as a staff member because they don’t pay us enough. I commute from Placer County and park off-campus in an unregulated area and walk/bike/scooter onto campus because as a staff member I don’t even get to ride Unitrans without paying. I’m an UPTE union member and with the lack of contract and no raise for the last couple years, an increase in parking fees is essentially a PAY CUT to my colleagues who pay these ridiculous prices to park at work. They often find all the spots are filled by local students who are too lazy to take the bus or maybe it’s that they decide to drive only because they need to get the most out of their investment since they paid so much for a parking permit.

BRIAN PERKINS

Davis, CA

To the Editor:

I heard about the parking permits raise and while I myself don’t drive it seems very unfair to those who commute. I know people who come from Sacramento and it sucks that they are raising the price to “support alternative modes for transportation” when those who commute cannot really switch! Maybe if they used price based incentives that would work. For example, those who live farther and need to commute get cheaper parking passes, while those who live in the immediate Davis area pay more since alternative modes of travel are easier. This is just an idea! I’m hoping that this raise doesn’t happen and students fight against this for an alternative way to make this work.

KATHY GUTIERREZ

Davis, CA

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