Connor Townsend has parked along the streets near campus until earlier this year, when he became fed up with showing up to classes late and receiving $40 parking tickets.

The senior psychology major decided to give in and buy a parking permit.

“I might as well pay the school and be assured a spot,” Townsend said.

As the fall semester comes to an end, exams aren’t the only thing on Loyola students’ minds. Many of them believe that current parking permit fees are too high.

Administrators disagree, claiming that these fees are high because the costs of constructing and maintaining parking facilities on an urban, landlocked campus are expensive.

Robert Reed, assistant vice president for student affairs, said that user fees are collected to cover certain campus expenses.

“Parking fees are collected to pay for ongoing expenses in the both garages and surface lots and some current bond indebtedness required to add two floors to the West Road garage,” Reed said.

Jasmine Nikdast, biology junior and commuter student, said students should not have to pay such a high amount for tuition and be subjected to expensive parking on top of that.

“The price is ridiculous,” Nikdast said.

Rachel Saferstein, mass communication senior, said that commuter students often park in the West Road garage without permits.

“They can accumulate a handful of tickets without getting booted, and if they do the result is still cheaper than the pass,” Saferstein said.

According to Loyola’s Parking and Traffic Regulations booklet, parking tickets are $20.00 each with a late fee of $10.00 if not paid within 14 days.  The booting fee is $75.00 plus payment of all outstanding tickets.

Although students say that parking at Loyola is expensive, it is more expensive at Tulane University.  Loyola’s rates for a year are $400 for residents and $340 for commuters, while Tulane’s resident fee is $575 and $520 for commuters, according to Deborah Jordan of Tulane’s parking office. That is an average of 48 percent more.

Gabrielle Hoyt, junior criminal justice and psychology double major, said that she is aware of the difference in costs because her brother just graduated from Tulane. She said she is happy to be paying the lower fee.

Reed, who is also the chairman of the parking committee, said that parking fees have not been raised since approximately 1998. If the fees were adjusted for inflation, parking at Loyola today would be approximately $500 for commuters.

If students were required to pay upfront each school day for two semesters, the cost of a year-long parking permit works out to around $2.50 a day, coincidentally the price of a return trip on the St. Charles streetcar or any other RTA route.