It is no longer first-come, first-serve when it comes to commuter parking passes. This winter, students who receive passes from Transportation and Parking Services will be decided through a lottery.
The new purchasing system is designed to “level the playing field,” according to an email sent out to Cal Poly students.
Students can submit their bid for a parking pass at the Parking Portal for winter until Dec. 2. by going to the “Permits” section toward the bottom of the page and clicking on “Add/Edit Waitlists.” From there, students can choose what permit they want.
Parking Services has received criticism because they do not prioritize parking passes by address — or, by who needs them the most.
“We do not have a mechanism to verify student addresses,” Associate Director of University Police-Parking Services Marlene Cramer wrote in an email.
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The randomized results will be released Dec. 3 through Dec. 5.
“When a lottery number is selected, the student will automatically be awarded a permit based on their parking preferences available at the time of the award,” according to a Parking and Transportation Department email to students.
Once “awarded,” students have six days to purchase their pass.
There may be an improvement in parking systems in the future, Cramer said, but Cal Poly is using what resources and technology they have available right now.
