Kent State is always changing, and parking on campus is no exception. With ongoing changes on campus, roads are closed, routes are changed and travel times may vary.

For students moving around campus for classes and activities, Kent State Parking Services can play a big part.

Parking passes for on campus lots became available to purchase in early July, and those with the most credit hours get first pick. Halfway through the month, parking passes are available for everyone with a Kent State ID to purchase.

Tip #1

It is free to park in the Student Center’s visitor lot after 6 p.m. on Friday and through the weekend.

Asaad Al Thoubi, computer science Ph.D. student, said he would purchase the C-Science or C-All pass for $200 for the whole year.

“Based on the first two weeks of the semester, you’ll figure out the best time for you to find available parking spots in your parking lot,” Al Thoubi said.

The C-Science and C-Verder lots have LED displays near the entrance to the lot that show the amount of spaces available in that lot, located behind the Liquid Crystals building and Verder hall. The KSUMobile app has a section where you can see the number of spaces available before you arrive.

Tip #2

Students can purchase temporary permits from Parking Services if they will not be on campus enough to warrant a parking pass.

Students who purchase passes for lots off campus such as the stadium, Summit East, Recreation and Wellness Center and Greek Village have access to Portage Area Regional Transport Authority, the local bus service. PARTA lets students take the routes through Kent State campus for free.

Elisa Isben, a sophomore architecture major, parked at the stadium her freshman year.

“Be careful about doing the stadium parking pass, especially if you have to use your car often,” Isben said. “The busses are known to break down or crash and the drivers have a pretty high turnover rate.”

Tip #3

Visitors can purchase a one-day permit for $3 or a weekend permit for $30.

Larry Emling, Parking Services manager, said the fines for parking illegally are set up to be a “deterrent.” The first and second tickets are $15, and the third increases to $35. Students could pay up to $100 every time the car is parked illegally after the ninth ticket.

“It’s $50 to get the boot off and you have to pay for that upfront,” Emling said. “You still have a $50 ticket on top of that.”

Isben said that you get one parking ticket that “won’t count towards anything and you won’t have to pay,” but they will not tell you if you used it.

“The price of the tickets rise every time you get another one, use them wisely,” Isben said.

Tip #4

Students have higher chances of getting better parking if they arrive before 11 a.m. to their lot.

Parking Services will check campus lots throughout the day, but how often they are checked is irregular. Emling said part of enforcement “is meant to be random” so they cannot be tracked throughout the day.

“I actually got two parking tickets because I parked in the R-5 parking lots, which are different to my parking permission,” Al Thoubi said. “Some parking lots get full quickly even before 11 a.m., especially the C parking lots.”

Printed on the back of parking passes are the regulations of where you are and are not allowed to park. There is also a phone number listed to contact Parking Services.

“If you do get confused, call us and we will guide you to the correct lot,” Emling said. “If need be we can do that over the phone.”

There is hourly paid parking available in front of the M.A.C.C. and Student Center, where the rate increases $1 per hour and also has an indicator when the lot is full. The maximum rate is $6 per visit. Meter parking is not available in every lot, but they are often found near dormitories and close to lecture halls. They have various rates, and you can use either quarters or credit card to pay.

“Most professors don’t care if you have to leave real fast to feed a meter,” said Nicolas Trojack, an animation major graduate. “All else fails you can just buy a rec center ticket.”

Tip #5

Restricted lots (or R-lots) are meant for instructors and students with over 60 credit hours. C-lot passes and stadium passes are not allowed at any time.

Marissa Moore is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].