WSU Parking | Photo by Soham Parikh | The Wright State Guardian
Wright State University (WSU) Department of Public Safety undertakes parking services and introduces changes to parking passes.
Parking process on campus
In order to park in any university lots, WSU Students, staff and faculty must purchase a parking pass through the Parking Office. According to their website, passes issued in 2020 and 2021 are valid until December 31, 2021. New passes for the fall 2021 semester cost $48 while lost passes can be replaced for $15.
The Wright State Guardian reached out to Parking Services, now under the Department of Public Safety, for data on parking passes sold and renewed for the fall semester, this data has yet to be provided. Lt. Kurt Holden, director of public safety, cited issues with a new information system as the reason for the delay.
Parking citations
Despite the parking pass policy on campus, the Department of Public Safety is not strictly enforcing the policy during the first weeks of the semester.
“In the first couple of weeks of school we try not to enforce a lot of parking issues because we know students are trying to get their parking passes, [and] we know students are trying to find their way around campus,” Lt. Kurt Holden, director of public safety, said.
According to the parking citations log, 12 parking citations were issued between Aug. 23 and Sept. 8 by the department. These citations are most likely due to misuse of accessible parking spaces and fire lane violations, Holden said.
Parking safety on campus
Increased campus activity often leads to increased traffic and parking safety issues.
In the same two-week time period, Aug. 23 through Sept. 8, one at-fault accident occurred on campus property according to the moving citations log.
To foster a safer parking environment the Department of Public Safety took over the Parking Office and parking affairs.
Set to be completed by the end of the semester, changes include phasing out plastic parking passes. Registered license plates now act as parking passes. According to Holden, concerns over the coronavirus pandemic and the desire to reduce contact factor into this decision.
It has not been revealed what other charges occurred during the departmental switch.
