BLACKSBURG, Va., July 6, 2010 – As Virginia Tech starts the 2010-11 academic year, faculty/staff parking permits will increase $41 and student parking permits by $53 to help pay for several campus parking improvement projects.
2010-11 parking permits go on sale today, July 6. Faculty/staff permits will cost $220 per year and student permits will cost $189 per year. The new rate increase was approved by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.
Among the parking enhancement projects recently completed is the new Perry Street parking garage which is scheduled to be complete by the start of the fall semester.
The $26 million Perry Street Parking Garage project will be creating approximately 880 new parking spaces on campus. These new spaces come at a time when the campus community will begin to lose significant surface lot space due to new buildings arriving on campus.
“New buildings will begin to appear in many popular surface lots and we need to make up for the spaces that will be lost. We have reached the northern boundaries of Virginia Tech and no longer have the land for surface lots. Our only option for retaining spaces was a parking garage,” said Steve Mouras, director of Transportation and Campus Services.
While the cost of the parking deck has caused an increase in the 2010-11campus parking permits, the cost of Virginia Tech’s permit remains one of the lowest of its peer institutions. Faculty and staff may also purchase online and select the pretax option through payroll deduction for the most cost savings.
In addition to Virginia Tech being able to maintain a very competitive parking permit rate, it also boasts an award winning Alternative Transportation program which provides options for those who would like to find a less expensive option. If the opportunity is fitting, choosing a carpool option, or Bike, Bus & Walk permit may be a solution for those dealing with the increasing permit costs.
The 2009-2010 parking permit expires on Aug. 13, 2010.