New MASSMAIL:

It is time once again for renewal of campus parking permits. Significant
events in the past year have resulted in major changes related to parking.
A recent ruling by the Illinois Supreme Court said that parking fees are a
mandatory subject of bargaining. As a result of this ruling, the
University of Illinois has begun to significantly revise its parking
permit fee structure.

University representatives began a process of negotiating parking rates
with unions on each campus. For the Urbana campus, a number of agreements
have been reached that feature a sliding scale parking rate, based on the
annual salary of each employee. Specifically, the parking fees paid by
these employees will be 0.7% (seven-tenths of one percent) of their annual
base salary. Represented employees whose union contracts have not yet
come up for negotiation will continue to pay the FY08 parking rate of
$35.58 per month, pursuant to the requirements of Illinois public sector
labor law.

Chancellor Richard Herman and Provost Linda Katehi have decided to extend
the new parking rate structure to all nonrepresented employees on the
Urbana campus (faculty, academic professionals, and open range civil
service staff). Additionally, they have also added a cap to the sliding
scale structure that will provide an upper limit to the monthly parking
rate. For FY09, this cap is $40 per month. Therefore, beginning July 1,
2008, all nonrepresented employees on the Urbana campus will be charged
either: (a) 0.7% of their annual base salary per month for rental lot
permits, or (b) the designated cap of $40 per month, whichever is less.
For most employees, this new fee structure based on a sliding scale
percentage rate will result in a decrease in their monthly parking fee.
For the minority of employees who, based on their annual earnings, will
see an increase in their parking fee, the maximum increase will be $4.42
per month (i.e., the difference between the cap rate of $40 per month for
FY09 compared to the FY08 rate of $35.58 per month).

I’m not sure that I agree that parking factors into collective bargaining. (Other than I think parking should be free for employees. Bargain that.) Pretending that the employee’s parking lot selection is unbiased (*cough*), and that the waiting list for permits in their lots are honest and followed (*wheeze, choke, gasp*), I am okay with the old regime of standardize parking rates regardless of employment class (non-represented employees REP-RE-SENT!) or salary.

I didn’t like that when I was parking in a rocked lot 3 blocks away from my office, the Chancellor was parking in a covered deck right across the street from his office. Now that I’m also in a covered deck just a block from my office, I’m cooler with it. FWIW, I’m glad they didn’t go with the quality of the lot as a determination for pricing. I would pay a few bucks a month more for the deck, but I know a lot of people who wouldn’t.

But, anyway, my parking rates for FY09 will go down. (But not as low as when I started buying employee parking in 2001.) It’s so rare and unique to get something back I’m almost in awe… except that it serves as a reminder that the university doesn’t think I make much money. Nothing like a graduated scale to put me back in my place. Gary was right — campus parking really is soul crushing.

Doing the math, if you gross $61k a year, your parking rates stay the same ($35.58/mo.) If you make more than that, you see an increase until $68.5k (when you hit the $40/mo cap.) If anyone’s listening, raise my salary and I’ll pay the $4 without whining.

I think there need to be more incentives for people who sometimes drive, or carpool. With gas at/over $4/gal, I’m trying to ride the bus more. I wouldn’t surrender my parking hang tag unless I really thought I could ride the bus all the time, but at a daily hang tag for about $7, if I didn’t have to drive to campus all that often, I could still save money.