Students are claiming unjust ticketing as the Transportation and Parking department oversees the new semester’s annual rise in citations.
“At the start of each academic year, we typically see an increase in citations,” said Amy Haines, the associate director of parking. “During the first week, we issue numerous warning citations, excluding safety violations to educate students about proper parking practices.”
Haines added that Transportation Services’ responsibility is to ensure those with a parking permit can travel campus safely.
Some freshmen, however, cited many instances in this first month in which they received parking citations that were given out falsely.
“Since being here I’ve received four tickets. The reason for the tickets were ‘not properly displaying a decal’ even though my parking pass is hanging up. I walk everywhere on campus, so I just have a car to go home, or get groceries. I don’t drive everyday, but last time, I had three [citations] stacked up when I got there,” said Lilly Norris, a freshman majoring in communications.
Though Parking Services had a table at all of the Bama Bound sessions throughout the summer, some students are feeling lost, both financially and on the rules.
“I am here on loans and scholarships,” Norris said. “I picked this school because it is absolutely amazing in every way I wanted, but receiving four tickets since move-in is ridiculous.”
Emily Lopresti, a sophomore mechanical engineering major, also received what she said was a wrongful citation.
“I was wrongly given tickets for parking in a handicap space without a parking pass, but I have a legal handicap placard,” Lopresti said. “I’ve tried the appeal, but they basically said I would have to pay for the $300 pass and the $50 dollars of tickets on top of that.”
Haines suggested that students go through the appeals process if they are confused about the reasoning for a citation.
“If it is determined the citation can be reduced to a warning or if it was issued in error, our office will be able to handle this,” Haines said.
Another option to pay off parking citations is the SGA’s “Parking with A Purpose” program , which allows students to avoid paying for one parking ticket each year by doing community service. After receiving a ticket, students must complete two hours of service with a Tuscaloosa-based nonprofit and submit proof of service to the form on the SGA’s website to have a citation fee waived.
Students interested in the appeals process should contact Transportation Services at (205) 348-7433 or at its office in the Transportation Hub Deck.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to correct an error regarding the SGA parking with a purpose program and provide more information about it. The program is available to students under certain conditions, and students need not appeal their ticket before trying to participate in parking with a purpose.
