PATS doubles fines and increases prices for permits

Over the summer, the University of New Mexico's Parking and Transportation Service increased parking fines from $25 to $50. This is one of several changes the Parking and Transportation Service has made ahead of the 2024-25 academic year amid criticism from students.

PATS also increased fees for permits. The cost of campus resident permits and commuter permits increased by 3%. The cost of Reserved Proximity Tier 1 and 2 permits – reserved for faculty and staff – increased by 7% and 5%, respectively.

At a City hall PATS Director Shawn Arruti said at a meeting on June 18 that the current fines are not enough to deter people from making “poor parking decisions.” Parking meters in metered parking lots around campus cost $1.75 per half hour – making them cheaper last year rather pay a fine than pay for 8 hours of parking.

UNM student Seth Connett recently received a parking ticket. Unaware of the fine increase, he was surprised to see it was $50.

“I feel like they monopolize parking a little bit because you can't really park on the side streets. It's terrible that you pay so much because it's the only way to get to class on time,” Connett said.

PATS increased the permit fees because it could not cover its costs, Arruti said at the city hall.

The money PATS collects from parking permits, hourly parking, parking tickets and special events goes toward purchasing buses, parking and transportation maintenance, personnel costs and more, according to Joshua Whitman, PATS marketing representative.

PATS — comprised of about 80 staff and student assistants — is a completely self-funded support department of UNM, according to Whitman. It operates under the umbrella of Institutional Support Services and is financially independent of the university and state legislature, Whitman wrote to the Daily Lobo.

“While we understand concerns about hourly and permit pricing, these fees are necessary to maintain the quality of service PATS is designed to provide to our campus community,” Whitman wrote.

At the town hall, Arruti said UNM's parking rates are comparable to those of comparable institutions. A parking permit for a campus resident in the S or Y parking zones costs $576 with the new increases. The cheapest student parking permit for commuters parking in the South Lot or K-Lot costs $216, according to PATS. website.

General parking permits at Central New Mexico Community College cost $17.50 per year, according to CNM websiteNew Mexico State University commuter and resident parking permits will cost $87 annually in the 2023-24 academic year, according to the website.

Shortly after PATS increased parking fine fees, the Instagram account @boycottpats was created, which had over 350 followers as of Sunday, August 18. The account calls for a boycott of PATS and encourages UNM students not to buy parking passes, pay parking meters or pay parking fines, according to a post.