In the past several months, there have been growing concerns and numerous complaints about USM’s new Pay by Plate parking system that was installed in August of this year. From the cost of citations, to the need to pay for parking at all, this article seeks to answer some of the questions people are asking, and provide information people need to continue to enjoy services that the University offers.
In a recent interview with the Gorham Times, Justin Swift, Chief Business Officer at USM said, “USM wants to be a good community member and be fair and equitable with everyone. We are committed to improving and enhancing the parking experience which would include taking feedback from employees, students, and community members.” Addressing the complaints, he said, “USM has established a new Parking Committee composed of representation from many departments on the campus and student representatives.”
Photo credit: Lori ArsenaultParking signs available in each lot.
Swift said, “This committee has been tasked with identifying opportunities for improvement, exploring and proposing solutions to parking situations, and reviewing and proposing changes to parking policies. As issues are addressed and improvements implemented, we are open to reviewing the representation of the committee and making necessary changes in the future.”
One of the improvements includes an agreement with the vendor, Parking Revenue Recovery Services (PRRS) to mail citations within one to eight business days. This was in response to a delay in many of the early citations this fall. Swift was quick to say, “However, we do not want citations being issued. Ideally, anyone parking on campus should get the parking permit ideal for their respective situation (one-time visitor, regular visitor, student, employee, etc.).”
Acknowledging a barrier for those who do not have smartphones, he said, “We are currently looking at offering parking permit stations on the campuses.” Departments that regularly host events have the option to have a tablet that will be set up with the parking permit software to allow guests to get a permit at the event. Some departments, such as the Osher School of Music, have the QR code available inside so patrons will not have to locate a sign outside.
Swift added, “We’ve also recently learned that some of the parking equipment had been vandalized which resulted in problems such as a vehicle being recorded as entering but not leaving when in fact it had. In this case, we worked with the parking enforcement vendor to dismiss those citations.
Many people want to know why the University charges for parking. Swift said, “Our parking operation, which includes transportation, is considered an auxiliary enterprise at the University. One of the expectations of an auxiliary enterprise is that it be self-supporting.” He said there are “many costs such as general maintenance of the surface lots including striping, snow removal, sanding, resurfacing, etc. USM is also the only campus within the University of Maine System to have and be responsible for maintaining two parking garages (Portland) and surface lots on three campuses (Portland, Gorham, and Lewiston).”
“Students pay a comprehensive fee” he continued, “where a portion of that fee supports parking and transportation. Employees also pay for parking permits to park on the campus.” However, the total of these fees does not completely support the parking and transportation operation.
He continued, “We also have looked at the expense budget in this operation to look for efficiencies. This has included exploring options for transportation, automation of some services, partnering with a snow plowing contractor, and other items.”
He also said that the new parking system is one of the efficiencies that costs less than the previous paper ticket system. Even with these efforts, this year’s expected revenue of $1,600,000 and expenses of $2,773,875 means the parking and transportation operation is expected to operate at an approximate $1.2 million loss this fiscal year.
Swift emphasized, “We cannot sustain these losses and have limited options to equitably and fairly address them.” He said that the University does not want to increase student fees, and labor agreements limit what employees can be charged. He continued, “If everyone utilizing parking on campus pays their fair share, it limits the cost for everyone and allows us to maintain a sustainable parking and transportation operation.”
Swift acknowledged that like many new services, USM is generally hearing from those who are unhappy. USM has about 10,000 daily parking transactions, which includes those who come and go from campus several times each day. According to PRRS, there is a 96% compliance rate (no citations). Swift said, “For the 4% who do receive citations, we are looking at the reasons those citations are issued and trying to learn why they were issued.” It was long believed by most people and departments that parking in the evening on campus was free, but according to Swift, it was simply not enforced for quite a few years.
A front-page story in the Gorham Times on Sept. 14 about the new parking system was meant to provide information about the new system to the public. However, getting the message out to everyone who will park on campus was bound to be a challenge. Just like any other bill, uncollected fines will go to a collection agency for resolution. Swift encourages people to bring any issues with a fine directly to the parking office to discuss and resolve if it is in error.
Also interviewed for this story was John Conway, a spokesperson from Parking Revenue Recovery Services. PRRS, in business for 22+ years, operating in compliance with Maine’s Drivers’ Privacy Protection Act. PRRS currently operates 500 installations of this cutting-edge system across the country. Conway confirmed that USM is currently handling about 10,400 parking transactions per day with a 96% compliance rate, which is 10-15% higher than the average for a University. Citations are normally issued within 3-4 days, but with the rollout of the system, he admitted that many were delayed at the start. He said that in response to appeals at USM, many notices have been voided.
Conway was asked about possible errors in the AI-driven system, which he said is at the cutting edge of the industry. He explained that license plates are matched with transactions, assisted by “fuzzy logic” technology. Errors can occur when license plate numbers and other information are entered incorrectly by the user, or are obstructed for any reason, such as with the recent vandalism at USM that affected the cameras. The process of matching plates with transactions requires PRRS employees and the human eye to validate exceptions in transactions. He said that early in 2024, there will be a team from PRRS on site to evaluate and assist with improvements.
Finally, both John Conway and Justin Swift agreed that it’s important to recognize that when something like this rolls out, there will be those who didn’t get the messages or see the signs, who will be stuck with a bill, or for some, many bills. USM Parking lots are each marked with signs for both the parking fees and who is allowed to park in each area. But not everyone sees them, or understands them. The ‘sticker shock’ on those receiving citations should be considered when discussing complaints with friends and neighbors, who will hopefully also hear in most cases that the University is working hard to resolve these complaints.
Parking fees on campus are not new, only the method for collecting them. Any member of the public who is a frequent visitor for such things as performances, rehearsals, sports events, etc. has the option of purchasing a 365-visit permit for only $36 per year. The $1 per hour fee ($4 on the Portland campus) is meant only for one-time visitors.
Swift quickly acknowledged this ‘sticker shock’ factor, and restated the creation of the parking committee, encouraging anyone who has received a bill in error, or under unique circumstances that have not been addressed, to please contact USM Parking Services at (207) 780-4718 at usmparkingservices@maine.edu, or Parking Revenue Recovery Services Customer Service Center at (877) 302-7275, or appeals@parkingrevenuerecovery.com.
Visitor Parking at USM
For the Gorham campus, visitors and guests may park in the following lots with an appropriate permit:
24/7 parking: Lots G4, G2, G2A, G13, G14 G16, G17, G19, G20, G12A, GS1.
Restricted Parking: Visitors may park in the following lots 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. G7, G11, G12, G2B. Blue-signed lots – Visitor parking after 3 p.m. Monday to Friday 24hrs Sat and Sun. G1, G3, G6, G8 and remaining blue-signed lots.
ADA parking is allowed in any lot with a payment to park or a valid USM Permit. A legal ADA placard or plate must be visible.
Bus and oversize parking is in lot G20 or G13 and the bus rate should be selected.
Carpool and Reserved spaces are by special permit only.
If anyone is unsure, the “Pay Here to Park” QR signs (when scanned) or online “Book Now,” will show “not available.” No payment will be allowed, meaning visitor parking is not available for this lot. Lot rules can also be viewed online: https://usm.maine.edu/ parking-services/
Please contact parking services for drop-off or loading information. They are happy to help with accommodations for those in need. Permits are available for those who frequent campus. The grace period is being extended to 30 minutes before a payment is required.
Gorham Campus Map: https://usm.maine.edu/about-our-university/wp-content/uploads/sites/581/2022/09/gorham-campus-map.pdf