This fall, Transportation Services changed its parking permit pricing, raising rates from previous years and rezoning two parking lots on campus.
Oregon State University requires parking permits year-round, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on campus. These permits include A, B, C and motorcycle, which allocate where the permit-holder can park. The lots are located around OSU’s campus and range in size and location.
Students living on campus, which typically applies to first-years and Resident Advisors, can also choose to park in R or Resident lots. However, only seven of these lots are located on campus and surround the residence halls. These lots allow students to park 24 hours a day.
This year, OSU Transportation Services is making a few changes. First, the pricing is being raised for all permit levels. The A level, which contains the smallest lots in the best locations, is being raised from $720 annually to $765. The B lots will now cost $531 per year compared to the $495 of fall 2023. Finally, the C lots, most frequented by students, were raised from $153 to $162 per year, according to the Parking Rates page on the Transportation Services website.
According to Sara Hamilton, outreach coordinator for OSU Transportation Services, “The zonal system is a demand-based system. Transportation Services collects occupancy data during peak times throughout the year and adjusts zones and permit quantities to balance use across the system.”
Additionally, the R lots or resident on-campus parking prices have been raised. In fall of 2023, these permits cost $158 per term, excluding cheaper summer rates. This fall, R permits will cost $182 a term.
“The changes are responsive to use patterns across the zonal system based on demand. Permit prices reflect the cost of managing the system while continuing to provide a lower-cost commuter option in the C zone,” Hamilton said.
While increasing the pricing, the Transportation Department is also changing some of the lot allocations.
An email covering “2024-2025 Commuter Zone Changes” from Transportation Services said, “The … parking lots will be rezoned due to high occupancy over the previous year and to rebalance the zonal parking system. These changes are effective Monday, September 23, 2024.”
The upcoming changes will be to Lot 3202 on Washington Ave. NW, which will change from the B1 Zone to the A3 Zone and to Lot 3277 LaSells Stewart on Center West, which will change from a C Zone to a B2 Zone.
“We expect these changes will help alleviate the pressure of high utilization in these lots and increase the reliability of finding a parking space,” said the Transportation Services email.
These changes will decrease parking availability, as both lots are being rezoned to higher-level permits with higher pricing.
Jared Law is a fourth-year civil engineer major who lives in Corvallis off campus. He lives about 3 miles south of campus.
“(My commute) is not that bad, probably like eight or nine minutes, definitely a stark contrast to my sophomore year, when I was in a house pretty much right across the street from campus,” Law said.
He said he has a C lot annual permit, and last year he would park at Reser Stadium every day where there was a C lot located. He heard about the price increase but plans to repurchase his C permit this fall regardless.
Law said his classes this term are on the north side of campus, with the closest lot being an A lot, which is much more than he wants to pay for parking.
“My one concern would be this upcoming year they’re shrinking the C lot at the stadium, which makes me a little mad. It never fills up and I like parking on the east side, and now it’s not even a part of the C lot, and I risk getting a ticket if I park there, which makes me a little angry. Also, with the fact that they’re making the passes a little more expensive and taking away parking,” Law said.
In response to concerned students, Hamilton said, “(Transportation Services) listens and asks questions to understand the person’s needs, then offers information to help them determine the options that would work best for them. Each conversation is different and balances the person’s preferences, needs and the options available for their specific commute.”
Students can find OSU’s full parking pricing and parking maps here, and can expect Transportation Services to continue to respond based on live data collected and adjust zones as needed in future years. According to Hamilton, permit prices are adjusted to meet the costs of managing and maintaining the parking system.
Transportation Services has other options for students who don’t have a vehicle or the funds to afford an annual or monthly parking permit.
Oregon State is a bike-friendly community, and with six bike events starting off the school year in the last weeks of September and the beginning of October, the university encourages bike tips and safety on its website.
Public transportation options are also available. According to the Transportation Services website, Zipcar is “a carsharing service at OSU that gives you all the convenience of a personal vehicle without the parking and maintenance costs. Cars are conveniently parked near residence halls and available to reserve 24 hours/day, via an app or online.”
The Beaver Bus is another option, which runs Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and is free for students. The public Corvallis Transit System also runs close to campus and is free.
“OSU’s Sustainable Transportation Strategy describes 15 actions for students to take to accommodate increased trips to campus while reducing the drive alone rate. Transportation Services is working on implementing several of those actions, and continues to maintain and manage demand across existing parking. You can find the Sustainable Transportation Strategy and updates on progress at https://transportation.oregonstate.edu/sts,” said Hamilton in an email.
