By Emma Weidmann | Editor-in-Chief
Baylor Parking Services has begun making parking permits available on a staggered basis using a new software implemented over the summer.
In the past few months, Parking Services switched to a new software after the tech startup they had been partnered with was “sunsetting” and would no longer be supported, according to Matt Penney, director of Baylor parking and transportation. New software was needed in order to support the functions of the department.
Penney said Parking Services relies on software to issue citations by scanning license plates as patrol vehicles drive past and to power the online portal where people can register their vehicles, purchase permits and appeal citations.
“It’s a very, very complex software, more than most people might realize,” Penney said.
The new software isn’t the only change the department made before the fall semester kicks off later this month. The staggered parking permit allotment announced in late July is a significant change from the first-come, first-served basis of previous years.
Baylor expects an incoming freshmen class of more than 3,500 students, many of whom will be in need of parking permits. Combined with sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students, an open season approach to parking like in previous years could cause many students to miss out on getting a permit.
Making the process smoother for the Baylor community was a prime motivator for the new staggered allotment, Penney said.
“Last year, we had some challenges because all of our commuters hit the web portal at one time, and that created some challenges,” Penney said. “Some things didn’t go right in that rush, so we wanted to stagger that out.”
Pleasanton junior Kenley Everett has held permits for the 8th Street garage and the East Village garage. She said while she has never had trouble with parking, she has many friends who don’t share that experience.
“A lot of my friends ended up having to walk to school or get rides or park on side streets because they weren’t able to get on because the website would crash out,” Everett said.
Everett said she is curious to see how the new system performs when it’s her turn to buy a permit.
“I personally have never had a negative experience in the past,” Everett said. “I know it’s different this year, which is a little concerning, but we’ll see how it goes… I’m interested to see how the new system is going to work.”
The new process is similar to other universities’ parking setup. The University of Texas at Austin has two designations for student parking permits: resident and student commuter. These permits are separate from faculty and staff designations, and each group is allowed to purchase a permit on different days.
“When we looked at other universities, a lot of other universities staggered [it] out,” Penney said. “[Graduate] students kind of go first, and then seniors will go, and then juniors will go, and then sophomores, and then freshmen — and that’s commuters,” Penney said. “Our on-campus [residents] we allowed to go first because they live on campus.”
Penney said the staggered allotment puts less strain on the software, but to aid in keeping the experience bug-free, students should be prepared with the right information when it comes time to buy a permit.
Penney recommended that due to Duo authentication, students should log in themselves instead of their parents. He said students should have their car’s license plate number, make and model on hand and be aware of which permit they want and in which garage.
For commuter students, there are options for which garage to park in, depending on which location is the most convenient and has available permits. On-campus resident permits are now tied to the student’s residence hall, according to the Baylor Parking Services Instagram.
On-campus residents have been able to secure a permit since August 1. Next in line are graduate students and seniors, who will be able to log on starting August 12. Following that, juniors and sophomores will have their turn on August 14. Lastly, freshmen granted an exemption from on-campus residency will be able to purchase a permit on August 16.
Student permit release times are 9 a.m. CT on each date, and students can purchase permits on or after their designated date until availability runs out.
