Parking Costs Explained
If you've ever wondered why USU charges for parking or why parking costs periodically increase for USU permit holders, here is all you need to know!
How is parking funded?
The State of Utah has legislated that the Board of Regents sets regulations for Higher Education in the state. Those regulations require that parking be self-funded. In other words, USU Parking and Transportation Services is required to pay its own way. Permit sales and other forms of revenue combine to substantially cover the costs of building lots and facilities on campus that serve the 15K-20K people coming for classes, employment, housing, events, and services.
Breakdown of Parking Expenses
These figures represent 2023-24 data.
| Expense | Amount ($) | % |
|---|---|---|
| Bond Payments - Aggie Terrace & Gateway Terrace | $1,121,159 | 41 |
| Department Labor | $776,934 | 28 |
| Administrative Fees | $96,090 | 4 |
| Parking Lot Improvements | $110,500 | 4 |
| Snow Removal | $240,000 | 9 |
| IT/Telephone/Network Systems/Cameras | $117,468 | 4 |
| Operating Expenses | $266,154 | 10 |
| Total | $2,728,305 | 100% |
There are also a number of parking lot improvement project costs that Parking shares with Facilities.
Breakdown of Revenue Sources
These figures represent 2023-24 data.
| Source | Amount ($) | % |
|---|---|---|
| Parking Permit Sales | $1,849,898 | 68 |
| Terrace Sales/TSC Visitor Lot | $460,950 | 17 |
| Fines | $182,764 | 7 |
| Dedicated Stalls | $83,100 | 3 |
| Meter Revenue | $38,506 | 1 |
| Athletics/Events | $114,723 | 4 |
| TOTAL | $2,729,941 | 100% |
Any profits realized in Parking are rolled into a fund dedicated to the increasingly expensive lots and garages needed to park our students, staff and guests on campus.
Why do USU parking permit rates increase?
The short answer is that the cost of building and maintaining parking lots and parking structures rise. Increases in construction and maintenance costs are the main contributors.
Challenges for Parking on Campus
- Convenience is… well… convenient.
- Most people want the convenience of coming and going at will
- Most people aren’t willing, or are unable, to walk very far to get to their final destination
- Every parking lot is a future building
- Parking space is also prime building space for future campus needs for study, office, shopping, eating or storage space.
- As campus grows, more stalls will be moved to very expensive parking garages or surface lots.
Cost of a Terrace Stall
Building parking lots and parking structures is very costly. Below are example numbers behind the costs of the Gateway Parking Terrace and do not include maintenance costs over the 50-year life of the structure.
- Terrace Cost Initial Cost = $12M
- 30-Year Bond Payments = $17M
- Number of Stalls = 400
- Cost/stall = $42,470
- Useful Life = 50 years
- Cost per year to park in a stall = $849.00*
- Current price of an annual Gateway permit = $378.00
What about parking for athletic events?
USU football and men’s basketball games present a disruption to weekday parking and traffic on campus. USU must accommodate academics, academic support services and events on campus, and most of the time there is room for everyone. The football schedule typically has no more than one or two games played on weekdays, most games are played on Saturday which does not affect class- or work-related parking. Men’s basketball games are played any day of the week, but tip-off is usually scheduled for 7:00 PM or later. There are only 2 areas affected, Black and Green Spectrum lots. Regular permits holders are allowed to move to other central campus locations during these times.
Who has input on building USU parking structures and setting parking rates?
USU administration has established the Parking Advisory Committee to advise them on recommended changes to parking lot designations, construction projects, and permit rates. This ensures a broad review of parking needs at the Logan campus.
USU Parking Advisory Committee
The membership on the committee is listed below and most terms are for three years.
- Chair – Staff member designated by the Vice President for Finance and Administrative Services.
- Faculty Members – Three faculty members. Two are nominated by the Faculty Senate and one at-large member is nominated by the VP for Finance and Administrative Services.
- Staff Members – Two staff members are nominated. One from the USU Planning group in Facilities and another from USU Housing.
- Students – There are four student officers from USUSA nominated to the committee. A student from the Residents Hall Association is also nominated.
- Secretary – The Committee Chair appoints a secretary for the committee.