September 5, 2003

To: UMBC Faculty and Staff

Fr: Mark Behm, Vice President for Administration and Finance

Re: Parking Update

As the fall semester opens, it is important to be prepared for a parking "crunch period," since campus community members tend to come to campus more often and stay longer as they acclimate to the new academic year. The hours between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. are the busiest. With the addition of classrooms and lecture halls in the newly opened ITE Building, the number of students registered in classes will be larger during the peak period than in previous years.

In order to facilitate traffic flow and assist people in finding spaces, Parking Services' staff and UMBC police officers will monitor lots and direct drivers to open spaces during peak parking times. The new Hilltop Road Parking Lot becomes available on or about September 25 (the opening date has been pushed back due to inclement weather affecting construction) and will provide 474 additional spaces. Overflow parking is available at South Campus, and the UMBC Shuttle will be available to transport faculty and staff to and from the main campus.

This year we must require the use of parking hangers beginning with the very first day of classes. On weekdays, parking will be enforced Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This will allow us to monitor the requirement that freshmen who live in the residence halls park in the Satellite Lot at South Campus during these periods to maximize the number of spaces available for commuter students, faculty and staff.

Faculty/staff enrolled in the payroll deduction program have received their new parking hangers through their departments and may continue to use their current gate cards. For additional information regarding purchase and distribution of faculty/staff permits and/or gate cards and important information about parking regulations, please visit the Parking Services web site.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call Parking Services at ext. 5-2551, or e-mail parking@umbc.edu.