University Police Parking Services announced a new policy in a university-wide e-mail Monday that could leave students more wary of parking in Northwestern lots without the correct permit.
The new policy will take effect Oct. 1. Afterwards, UP will no longer use towing as the primary penalty for parking violators.
In the past, a car would usually be towed only if the owner had not paid a previous parking ticket. But the new vehicle immobilization program plans to expand punishment of parking offenders.
Vehicles without parking permits will receive a $50 ticket for the first offense. A small sticker also will be placed on the car warning that a second violation will result in “booting” with a $125 removal fee from UP. This will happen even if the first fine is paid.
Those drivers with valid permits who have broken another parking rule can accrue three permit violations before they receive a warning sticker. On a fourth violation, their car will be “booted.”
One reason for the change from commercial towing to booting is that UP contracts with North Shore Towing and depends on their schedule, said Merrill Silverman, UP parking assistant director. UP officials can wait up to two hours for North Shore to tow a violator’s car.
According to Silverman, relying on towing as the main threat to offenders is inefficient.
“The original concept (of towing) was to free up space for someone else who had to use it,” Silverman said. “Sure we can free up that space, but at what loss?”
Boots, however, can be used by police without waiting for a tow truck to arrive.
Those who find boots on their cars must contact UP to have them removed after paying the $125 plus all other fines associated with the vehicle. To recover a car from North Shore Towing costs the same amount plus daily storage costs of $25. But the money earned from the booting will go to UP while that earned from towing went to North Shore Towing.
Silverman said UP writes 11,000 to 17,000 parking tickets each year. Starting in the fall, UP will add another parking officer to help issue these tickets, bringing the total number to three full-time officials.
Weinberg junior Alex Zousmer has a car on-campus and said she understands the reason for the new policy.
“Obviously I’m unhappy with the changes,” she said. “But I understand that parking is such a problem on campus that it needs to be changed.”
Campus Reporter Corrie Driebusch is a Medill sophomore. She can be reached at [email protected].
