Parking Services is starting to crack down on people parking illegally and will resort to towing if necessary, said Randy Ristow, Parking Services manager.

“We do expect people to park where they are assigned,” Ristow said.

Frequent violators who have more than four outstanding tickets will have their vehicles towed, Ristow said.

A green warning sticker is placed on the vehicle to notify the owners that their cars will be towed the next time they are illegally parked, Ristow said. Few cars are towed without some sort of warning.

In Fall 2003, 104 vehicles were towed, and in Fall 2004, 62 vehicles were towed, Ristow said. Parking Services has not counted the number towed this semester.

Some students resort to parking in the pay lot during the cold weather, Ristow said. One-third of the cars in the pay lot during the week have permits.

Brooke Letterle, a freshman exploratory major, has a Summit East pass but chooses to park in the pay lot. She said she would rather pay to park than wait for a bus.

Michael Fox, a freshman flight technology major, is a commuter who has a stadium parking pass. Fox parked illegally on campus for a few weeks but got a ticket. He also parks in the pay lot.

“It’s better than waiting 45 minutes for a bus,” Fox said.

Laura Maslanka, senior fashion design major, parks off campus. In the past, Maslanka parked on campus and didn’t have a permit.

Maslanka said she would rather walk more than worry about parking problems.

“They are really quick about giving tickets,” Maslanka said.

Parking Services lot attendants patrol Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Ristow said. Anywhere from five to 10 lot attendants are out at a time.

Peak hours for patrolling the lots are between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and in the early evening between 6 and 8 p.m., Ristow said.

Lot attendants are instructed to patrol the lots closest to central campus because they pose more of a problem than other lots, Ristow said. The faculty lots are also closely patrolled.

The police department patrols the lots on weekends, Ristow said. The weekends are more relaxed because there are more parking options.

Contact transportation reporter Lauren Frankovich at [email protected].