By Courtney Hibler
Overnight parking permits are becoming crucial for Youngstown State University, due to the increase of non-university run campus housing.
Students who enrolled prior to the summer 2018 semester received the overnight permits for the fall semester.
Danny O’Connell, director of support services, said parking permits are becoming optional due to the new tuition promise through YSU. With this promise, each incoming class will receive a different tuition and fee structure.
“New students had the option of choosing either a daytime or overnight permit,” O’Connell said. “In doing this, the cost of parking moving forward is based on use.”
There is only one fee for those needing to park on campus during the day, while there is a higher expense for those who need to park on campus 24 hours a day. O’Connell said this structure is consistent with most of Ohio’s state institutions.
O’Connell said he was involved in the process to change the permits as a parking representative and said many others from the university were involved as well.
“Our goal is to have the best operation possible and keep traffic congestion to a minimum,” O’Connell said.
Caitlyn Wilkes, junior telecommunications major, said she has no reason to be on campus beyond the original parking times already implemented.
“My classes end in the afternoon,” Wilkes said. “These new passes won’t affect me, but I feel like it will be beneficial for others and myself in the future if there are nighttime events being held.”
Some students said they don’t see the overnight permits as beneficial.
Mary Bittler, senior early childhood education major, said she would feel safe during a major event, such as a football game, but has safety concerns after hours on campus because she noticed not many campus police officers patrol the area.
“If some of those students don’t feel safe then maybe YSU campus police could come up with an idea to implement more security measures,” Wilkes said.
The YSU Student Security Service, sponsored by the Youngstown State University Police, provides a free escort to students and employees walking from one campus location to another.
As YSU gains more students each semester, changes to the many parking areas on campus will begin to take place.
“In the next month, we will see an increase of approximately 100 new spaces in the M-61 overnight permit lot on Rayen Avenue,” O’Connell said. “These spaces will serve the residents of the Edge and any students with an overnight permit.”
O’Connell said it’s important to have multiple commuter lots in the Lincoln Avenue and Fifth Avenue areas to prevent traffic backup.
Designated overnight parking garages and lots can also be found around the YSU campus. M-30 and M-60 allow overnight parking with a valid permit.
Lots R-3, R-4, R-23, M-61 and M-2 allow only overnight permits. Any permit is valid from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. in lots M-2, M-24, M-32, M-34, M-3 (west side only) and M-90.
“Anyone parking on campus is responsible to know the rules and regulations,” O’Connell said.
More information on YSU parking services can be found at https://ysu.edu/parking-services.
To request a campus escort, call (330) 941-1515. An escort will be sent immediately or can be requested on a standby basis by arranging a schedule with the escort supervisor.