Despite the availability of bus service on campus, LSA senior Tara Edwards said it”s more convenient to drive her car to classes. She knows she takes a risk by parking her car at meters, and sometimes she lets her parking tickets accumulate.
- Paul Wong
- Jackie Stickney, an employee at the Kellogg Eye Center, eyes her watch and the ticket on the car in front of her as she puts money in the meter yesterday.<br><br>SAM HOLLENSHEAD/Daily
“I”ve spent between $200 and $300 since my sophomore year on parking tickets,” Edwards said. “There is nowhere to park by the MLB or Frieze Building, where the majority of my classes are.”
In recent years, city parking statistics show September and March the beginning and end of the regular academic year have a higher number of towed vehicles as a result of outstanding parking tickets.
Ann Arbor Parking and Street Maintenance Manager Mike Scott said the city collects $2.4 million a year alone on outstanding parking tickets and students contribute significantly to the city”s revenue.
Edwards said at one point she had six outstanding parking tickets but only let a few weeks go by without paying them.
“It just happens today I got one,” Edwards said yesterday. “I put quarters in the machine and it didn”t work. The time didn”t go up. I just left my car since I was late for an exam.”
LSA freshman Mark Worthley uses the lot in front of Mary Markley Residence Hall, and said despite the parking tickets he”s received, it”s necessary to have a car because he lives out of state.
“Everyone wants to have cars to drive home for the weekend,” he said.
City Administrator Neil Berlin said Ann Arbor currently has one employee who surveys license plates for outstanding parking tickets and is not planning to hire any additional staff.
Ticketing employees also have the power to impound a vehicle if they find while writing a ticket that the car already has several outstanding, Scott said.
In February 2000, 98 cars were towed as a result of outstanding parking tickets, with that figure increasing to 178 by March, according to city parking statistics. State law dictates that a car can be towed after accumulating six or more outstanding tickets, Scott said.
“The city of Ann Arbor has gone to a system where we have gotten a writ of execution and can tow after four or more,” Scott said. The city was able to ask for this writ as a result of its population size and parking capacity. Scott said the Main Street area is a major ticketing area because of shorter time limits on meters.
In order to retrieve a car after it has been towed, outstanding tickets and an administration fee must be paid in full at the police department.
“They have to go to the towing company to have their vehicle released and pay the towing charges,” Scott said.MLB or Frieze Building where the majority of my classes are.”
In recent years, city parking statistics show September and March the beginning and end of the regular academic year have a higher amount of towed vehicles as a result of outstanding parking tickets.
Ann Arbor parking and street maintenance manager Mike Scott said the city collects $2.4 million a year alone