Disabled persons parking fee increased

The disabled persons daily parking fee, previously free of cost, was raised to $3 on Jan. 1, 2010.

The new fee, which is expected to raise $125,000 per quarter, was implemented due to the current economy, said Lisa Koerbling, associate director of parking and finance for UCLA Transportation and Parking. She said the fee was placed to minimize permit fee increases for UCLA students and faculty.

Disabled students and faculty have long been required to purchase and display a UCLA parking permit and disabled persons placard or license plate when parked on campus. As a result, this fee increase applies only to disabled campus visitors and patients, Koerbling said.

“Continuing to provide subsidized parking to any customer group is no longer feasible,” Koerbling said.

The increase will also equalize fees that people who hold disabled persons placards and license plates pay when parking at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical center compared to other on-campus parking. Now, both medical center and on-campus parking facilities will charge $3 for disabled persons daily parking.

UCLA medical center visitors have paid $3 for disabled person parking since the facility’s opening, Koerbling said. Student and faculty parking permit fees are raised almost every year while daily visitor fees are raised every two to three years, she said.

Koerbling said UCLA Transportation and Parking had a total revenue of $41.3 million during the fiscal year 2008-2009.

However, after paying for the various expenses to maintain the Parking system, none of the department’s revenue went to the parking reserves.

The added revenue will be used to support the department, such as alternative transportation programs, debt service, major maintenance and equipment renewal she said.

While this new fee deviates from UCLA’s past parking policies, the charge may actually prove to be cost friendly, she said.

UCLA students and faculty who have a disabled person placard or license plate are not limited to purchasing a $63 monthly parking permit.

Now, they have the option of purchasing a $3 daily parking permit ““ a move that may be cheaper for those who do not frequent the campus often, Koerbling said.

Canaan Ko, a first-year business major at El Camino College, said he uses visitor parking when he visits UCLA to play basketball with his friends from church who attend UCLA.

Ko said he thinks the fee increase is tragic, but also believes the $3 price is fair.

Daily parking on campus costs $10 for visitors without disabled persons placards.