Written by Jordan Grummer
The UA campus is relatively small compared to other universities, and like other universities, parking is a huge issue. To park on campus, students have to have a specific pass. There are the standard passes that only allow students to park in lots that fill up easily or are as far away from campus as possible. Many people who have these passes, which run about $70, park their cars and then catch a bus to campus. To park in dorm parking lots, students better register early, since there are no guarantees they'll get a parking pass. These "resident reserved" passes are more expensive, usually costing more than $400. The University even controls the parking outside of the fraternity or sorority houses, and a student wanting to park there must purchase a resident reserved pass.
There are two parking decks on campus and a third under construction. The parking deck at the Union is metered. The Harmon Parking Deck charges by the hour, and a Harmon pass costs more than $600 for the year. The Transit and Parking Department enforces all of these different passes. The ticket-givers are easy to recognize, and they are treated like modern-day tax collectors. Getting through the year without a ticket is rare; they cost anywhere from $20 to $100. Students who have two or more tickets will get a boot on their car. To get the boot removed, students have to pay the outstanding tickets, as well as an additional $30 to get the boot off, and the ticket they stick on the car almost always leaves behind a sticky residue that tends to stay on the window for weeks. An encounter with a boot can easily cost more than $100. And if you don't get the boot off of the car before the end of the day, then the car will be towed. Thankfully, there is always the Razorback Transit as a way to avoid these parking hassles. If you don't mind riding the bus, the transit is free, and it goes all over Fayetteville, dropping people off in the middle of campus. It can be crowded in the morning or late afternoon, but it's better than a $50 ticket.