YPSILANTI, Mich. – Parking on campus is a nightmare, according to Eastern Michigan University student Blake Zack. The nightmare started when LAZ Parking took over parking enforcement on campus.
“The system is out of order,” Zack said.
Zack, among many other students, said they want things back the way it was.
EMU spokesperson Geoffrey Larcoma said Eastern Michigan received $55 million when it partnered with LAZ Parking. That agreement will last 35 years and the money will help with academics.
But the new partnership is not going over well with the students.
"I don’t know if privatizing it was the best choice,” Matthew Scotton said.
Scotton said that’s because the new company is giving out more and more tickets and it’s hurting students’ pockets.
EMU representatives confirm to Local 4 that in 2017, the school collected $125,515 from parking fines. In the fall of 2018, that number jumped to $203,942.
EMU released the following statement:
"$55 million is helping fund improvements to academic facilities and that increasing ticketing through improved technology methods is mainly in restricted zone parking, to ensure that those who have a permit in those areas can park there."