This fall, students attending the University of Kansas and who live off campus were greeted with a shock. Although they purchased the standard yellow parking permits which are required to be able to park on campus for classes, KU Parking had without warning significantly reduced the amount of yellow parking spots in multiple parking lots across campus. The reduction was to provide more red and blue parking for faculty and staff. But while the new red and blue parking areas remain two thirds (2/3) empty each day, students with yellow permits are spending up to 30 minutes driving around campus in frustration trying to find somewhere to park for class. This change by KU Parking was a misrepresentation to the students who purchased yellow permits and has created chaos.

When KU students got online to purchase parking permits for the 2015/2016 school year, the price of yellow parking permits had increased by $35, to a total of $260. Emails were sent out by KU Parking boasting of changes to license plate recognition, rather than the stickers previously used. Announcements were made about restrictions and lot closures due to construction, but the conversion of previous yellow parking to red or blue parking was not made clear. So it was only after paying the $260 and showing up for classes that students learned that the yellow lots had been considerably reduced. Students did not get what they were lead to believe they were paying for.

In a recent exchange on Twitter between KU Parking and the Daily Kansan, KU Parking claimed they had not sold more yellow permits than there were yellow spaces. Rather they said that a yellow permit was a “hunting license.” Quite literally meaning that there is a yellow parking spot for you out there somewhere – you just have to hunt for it all over campus!!! The hunt may take 30 minutes, make you late for class, cause you significant frustration, anxiety and/or anger – but KU Parking promises there is a yellow spot somewhere on campus if you can find it.
Faculty and staff obviously need accessible parking for their work, but so do students. And while students are hunting, the new red and blue parking areas remain 2/3 empty each day. Half of the new red and blue parking spaces that have replaced the previous yellow parking spaces should be removed and made yellow again for students who bought yellow permits.

What You Can Do To Make a Change:

1. Voice you opinion by signing this petition! This petition will remain open for 30 days – through September 30, 2015.
2. Get others involved:
a. Tell your friends to sign this petition today! Ask them to spread the word that there is finally a place to express their frustration with this situation!
b. Share this petition on your social media pages! (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)