MUN doubles cost of parking passes after students vote down U-Pass
Board of regents voted for increase after students rejected universal bus pass
After Memorial University students sent a clear message that they didn't want to pay for bus passes, the school's governing board doubled parking rates.
Effective May 1, all campus parking passes will see a 100 per cent increase.
"Demand on the St. John's campus for parking spaces has continued to grow, while the fee charged for parking does not encourage members of the university community to avail of alternative, more environmentally friendly forms of transportation," reads an update on the school's website.
The parking increase was voted in at the March 14 board of regents meeting — the same one where the U-Pass proposal was finally killed.
Days earlier, students had voted resoundingly against the proposal, which would have tacked an extra $139 on each semester's fees in exchange for a Metrobus pass.
The proposal would have diverted vehicles from MUN, boosted Metrobus membership and allowed the company to implement new routes.
While students escaped that mandatory fee by voting against it, they will now have to pay double for their parking passes. The cheapest rate for undergraduate and graduate students will start at $72 per year, and run up to $500 for a spot in an underground parking garage.
Bailey Howard, communications director for the students' union, said she wasn't aware the increase was coming.
"We are really upset to see another fee increase," she said. "It's unfortunate to see so many students caught off guard."
The university says the increase still doesn't meet the cost associated with maintaining the parking lots.
The increase only applies for parking permits, which are handed out in a lottery. According to a 2016 story, fewer than 10 per cent of students got permits. The university also has several lots for hourly metered parking.
City also increasing parking rates
Street parking is also getting more expensive across St. John's.
The city announced on Wednesday there will be an increase from $15 a year to $27.50 for residents who live in permitted zones.
According to a release from the city, the parking permit program had been operating at a loss. The new rates reflect the increase needed to pay for the "administrative cost of issuing a permit."
The new price will come into effect April 1.