Parking Problems Persist, But Officials Working Toward a Solution by Anthony Carace

BURLINGTON, VT - Many citizens living in Burlington regard the parking situation as a dire one. With so many people competing for spaces, so few driveways for residents to harbor their vehicles in, and so many students with so little money to pay for a zone pass, there is no doubt that finding a place to park can be a laborious struggle. However, it is not as severe as most may fool themselves into believing. In a city that values walking and public transportation as highly as Burlington does, parking is an issue that can be easily remedied.

For those who prefer to go by car, on the other hand, searching for a space can be quite the hassle. The problem stems, at least partly, from the almost 20,000 students who migrate to the city each fall. While most freshmen don’t bring their cars during freshman year, many upperclassmen do, and they put considerable pressure on Burlington Parking Enforcement and campus security. Champlain College has specific parking zones for campus residents, yet these continually conflict with Burlington live-in residents. It became such an issue that “Burlington residents actually complained to the police department,” said Carl Riden, Associate Director of Public Safety at Champlain College. Most cities have a first-come-first-served policy in regards to the spaces that can be occupied. Burlington, on the other hand, has adopted an unorthodox system in which year-round citizens have priority over parking spaces. And while students may purchase parking permits from the College for $100, zone violations are a persistent problem. “We ticket between 125 and 150 people a week,” said Riden.

The resident-only zones occupy a considerable portion of the streets in Burlington, and they have hours set from 6 AM to 6 PM depending on the area; however, there is ample room for Champlain students to park. UVM, on the other hand, has no parking restrictions. Students and commuters are allowed to park wherever they can find a space, excluding lots on the UVM campus. “UVM has always placed more demand on parking availability than Champlain,” said Riden. Indeed, the student and faculty population of UVM far exceeds that of Champlain, so it seems only natural that the University would have a greater need for parking spaces in and around the campus.

The Gilbane Parking Lot, located on Lakeside Avenue, offers year round service for those who need a place to stow their car for the day. An added benefit is that the lot offers a shuttle to commute Champlain students to and from campus.

Educational facilities such as Champlain and UVM account for only a fraction of the Burlington parking problem, however. Certain streets, such as South Union and South Winooski, just on the outskirts of the downtown area, are available for whomever to park their vehicles during the day, and there are several garages where people can park for free for the first two hours, after which an hourly fee is added. Unfortunately for commuters who travel to Burlington for work, these spaces fill up quickly. The end result is more ticketing and regulation by Burlington Parking Enforcement.

As for Burlington Parking Enforcement, Parking Manager John King says that he sees no real conflict between live-in citizens and those students who have cars and need places to park them. “The real trouble is downtown, where space is somewhat limited,” said King. “You can definitely park on Main Street…just don’t expect to get a space right in front of the business you’re trying to enter.”

While tickets will forever be a punishment for illegitimate parking, King noted that ticketing has gone down considerably in recent years. The ticketing records are kept by fiscal years, beginning on July 1st and ending June 30th the following year. “In 2005-2006, there were 84,000 tickets issued, and there were only 63,000 for the 2008-2009 year,” said King. This massive cut in tickets shows that perhaps there may be a slight upswing in people’s awareness of the parking issues.

Despite the parking enforcement’s upkeep on the issues, there is no stopping the winter and its impact on the city’s drivers. Parking bans constitute a huge part of the problem because there are far too many cars and not nearly enough garages for people to stow them in. “There are certain measures people can take to prevent a ticket,” said King. “They can double up in drive ways, and they can even park on the lawns, which they never used to be able to do.” Parking bans are issued well before a storm is due to hit the city, and the media issue notifications well ahead of time; there are also lights posted on telephone poles that flash when a parking ban is imminent. “People are given plenty of notice…it’s just up to them to pay attention,” said King. Overall, King said he feels the system works “very well.” As with any system, there are always kinks, but the parking situation is constantly maintained.

As for the citizens of Burlington, they have mixed feelings both about student parking and Burlington’s Parking Enforcement, but they remain mostly positive. Eric Mootz, an off-campus Champlain senior, says he has no real problems with the parking in the town “except when I can’t find a space in front of my house. What makes me real(ly) mad is when people take up spaces because...they don’t know how to properly park.” Drivers’ parking ability and the allowance of parking anywhere, however, are two separate issues. Chris Donnelly, a Burlington resident, feels similarly to Mootz on the issue of first-come-first-served policy. “That’s the way it should be…whoever gets there first should get the space. There’s enough parking for everyone. It’s annoying if you don’t get a spot in front of your house, but that’s how it is.” Many live-in residents of the city have drive-ways, so there is little issue about finding a space to park for them. For those who are forced to park in the street, however, the battle and the irritation may never end.

The issue is not as severe as many may think, though. Burlington citizens have many options before them about how they can avoid parking predicaments, and there is much being done by Parking Enforcement to make sure the process runs as fluidly as possible. Any questions or concerns regarding zone violations, snow bans, or tickets should be directed to Parking Enforcement, located at the Burlington Police Department.