UND parking changes, explained

New zones, signs and permit types highlight campuswide updates to parking system

Leading up to Welcome Weekend — now just days away — the UND community received numerous reminders to not only purchase parking permits, but also take note of changes starting this fall.

But what exactly has changed?

As people roll onto campus for the first time since spring or summer, they’ll notice new signs representing UND’s fresh take on permit types as well as parking lots.

Jenny Duffy, UND’s director of auxiliary services, said measures taken for the new academic year are meant to make parking more straightforward for the majority of UND’s commuters and full-time residents.

Crucially, they also set the stage for future, sustainable improvements, said Karla Mongeon-Stewart, vice president for Facilities & Operations and COO.

“Parking has been operating at a deficit for many years,” Mongeon-Stewart said. “As a result, maintenance has not kept up.

“Our goal is to make the parking experience at UND more positive through improved and well-maintained lots, as well as a positive and responsive parking staff whose focus is on education and safety, not citations.”

Duffy added that such changes are being made following work with external consultants and feedback from the community.

“That work brought us to reexamine our permit types,” Duffy said. “It made for a perfect time to look at how we are naming our permits and lots. And it also gave us an opportunity to align parking’s branding with the rest of campus.

“Parking has had its own way of doing things for a long time. We are excited to rebrand our lots with UND pride,” she continued.

“I think in the long term, it will also help reduce confusion among people coming to campus and will be helpful in communicating where people can park.”

Editor’s note: The best resource for viewing available parking options is the UND Parking Map. For any questions on parking, please contact UND Parking Services.

New take on employee, student parking

Employee parking labels have a new look, swapping red for Kelly Green and “A” for “E.” Duffy said it made more sense to apply “E” to faculty, staff, administrators and other non-student employees.

This fall, parking at the core of campus has mostly reverted to employee-only parking, now that better options have come about for student permit-holders. Last year saw many ad-hoc parking changes to accommodate record numbers of on-campus students.

Employees with permits will, of course, be able to park in any lot marked with “E,” whether the sign designations are solely green or mixed with student and overnight zones. Examples of these signs can be found on the Employee Parking Permits webpage.

The latest improvement to student parking this fall is the opening of the Stanford West Lot, across the street from the Wilkerson Complex of residence halls. Completed just in time for the start of the semester, the Stanford West Lot serves as an example for UND’s “O” permit, which stands for overnight zones.

Overnight zones allow for 24/7 parking in an assigned residence hall lot and daytime access to combined Overnight-Student-Employee (O/S/E) zones surrounding campus. For instance, students in the Wilkerson Complex are eligible to purchase “O” permits for Stanford Road’s East and West lots, as well as for the lot along Princeton Street and Sixth Avenue North.

The new lot for the Wilkerson Complex residence halls, which will host more than 500 vehicles during the school year, also shows how UND Parking Services is changing its naming convention for parking lots.

Previously, several lots had their own unique names with regional flair, but lot signs are now more specific to street locations and buildings served, Duffy said.

“Our goal with that was to reduce confusion and make it easier for visitors or people newer to campus to find where they can park,” she remarked. “It’ll also make it easier for others to give directions to those who need help.”

Also serving students are “S”-marked lots for commuters with a Student Permit, which caters to several parking options around campus. More centrally located, along Harvard Street and close to Columbia Hall, are Student Reserved zones. Those with “SR” permits are also able to park in “S” zones across campus.

Parking plan in action

As Duffy mentioned, UND has been working with consultants to address the University’s parking landscape.

Deferred maintenance is an oft-used term in talking about changes to the physical campus, and parking lots are no different.

Announced earlier this year — and in an effort to address deferred maintenance — a multi-year pricing plan has been developed that will raise permit prices this year, then incrementally adjust permit prices through 2030. Revenues from this plan will be reinvested directly into the parking system.

At the time of the announcement in May, UND Parking Services clarified that while permit prices hadn’t changed since 2011, and student prices had been stable since 2018, maintenance costs had risen nearly 50% due to inflation.

“Without adjustments, the current model would result in a cumulative deficit of over $12 million, preventing us from completing crucial maintenance across our lots,” wrote Parking Services in its letter to campus.

Mongeon-Stewart acknowledged the frustration that comes with raising rates, but also noted that UND is committed to its five-year fee structure and the transparency that comes with sharing the full plan — allowing for planning and budgeting among the community.

“We know that the new parking fee structure represents a significant increase from historical parking rates,” Mongeon-Stewart said. “Parking deficits had to be covered by tuition, in the past.

“This new approach increases parking fees so the system can become self-sustaining over the next several years, reducing the overall burden on our students.”

Duffy said plans are already in motion for more tangible parking improvements in the next year.

“We’re working with our campus partners to assess costs and come up with a plan for projects next summer,” Duffy said. “We’re expecting for there to be noticeable changes to some of the lot conditions.

“It’s going to be gradual, when looking at campus as a whole, but we’re going to start addressing our deferred maintenance when it comes to parking.”

Both Mongeon-Stewart and Duffy also spoke about UND Parking Services’ renewed focus on customer service and education with all things parking — from common questions to violations — better aligning with the UND LEADS Strategic Plan.

Duffy encouraged community members to reach out if they aren’t sure why they received a citation, or if there’s any confusion about new parking lot zones.

“We want to work with people to help them understand where their permits are valid and where they aren’t,” Duffy remarked. “Service is a priority at UND, and that’s how we want parking to be for students, staff and faculty.”

Regardless of where you’re parking, Mongeon-Stewart said she and Parking Services are looking forward to serving all members of the community at a high level this upcoming year and beyond.