UB Announces New Parking Policy for Resident Freshmen

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- UB Parking and Transportation Services has announced that beginning with the fall 2005 semester, all resident freshmen will be required to leave their vehicles in their residence hall lot or in a Park and Ride lot from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The policy was developed to improve peak-time parking access in prime lots for students, faculty, staff and visitors who park on UB's campuses each year. Resident freshmen will make use of UB's many bus and shuttle offerings to get around both campuses.

"After review of Chance Management Advisors' recommendations and a year of campus-wide consultation, including needs assessments, interviews and presentations with administration, student, faculty and staff groups, this was the best-received alternative to reduce congestion in prime lots during peak times," said Maria Wallace, interim director of Parking and Transportation Services. "Parking is a complex issue at UB, as it is at many of our peer institutions. We expect this new policy to free approximately 450 spaces around the Spine. This is more parking than is available in two of our Jacobs lots."

Resident freshmen will be issued a distinctive magenta-colored hangtag at summer orientations. The hangtags also will be available from the Parking and Transportation Services offices beginning in August. The new policy will be enforced strictly.

The Park and Ride lots are:

-- North Campus: Arena, Alumni, Center for Tomorrow, Stadium and Special Events lot

-- South Campus: Main-Bailey and Parker

"Use of our Park and Ride Lots will continue to be marketed to all students, faculty and staff. In the first few weeks of school, information aides will be in lots, in shelters, on shuttles and on buses to educate students about UB's transit system, Wallace said. "We hope students will learn the ease of our transit system in the first week of school and continue to use it throughout their stay at UB."

Parking and Transportation Services, a unit of UB's Student Affairs division, is dedicated to bringing the highest quality parking and transportation service to students, staff and faculty at UB. The group continually strives to balance parking demand and transportation alternatives that best serve the needs of the University community.