Ohio University continues to see record-breaking class sizes, increasing demand for parking spots more than there are spaces.
In 2023, OU saw a growth in enrollment across regional campuses, an increase in online and transfer students, and high first-year student retention rates, according to a university news release.
Although Ohio University allows freshmen to bring cars to campus, students living on campus aren’t the only ones in need of a spot. Commuters, returning students and faculty also need parking passes.
OU has about 6,000 parking spaces, which means students have to find other ways to get to or around campus, Tia Hysell, director of VPFA auxiliary services, said.
“Many students choose to walk or use one of OHIO’s many transportation services that connect users to campus, local and regional destinations,” Hysell wrote in an email.
A parking pass is necessary for some commuters, and the university sets aside a certain number of spots for them, Hysell said.
“Commuter parking permits are for students who reside at an off-campus location and provide daily parking access in designated commuter lots,” Hysell wrote.
While certain spots are reserved for commuters, a couple thousand are reserved for residency parking, Hysell said in an email.
“Transportation and Parking Services (TPS) has allocated 1,300 residential parking permits for fiscal year 2025,” Hysell wrote.
Residential parking spots vary in type and some are for surface lots, garages or reserved spaces.
Students select the spot that best suits their needs, like proximity to their dorm.
Returning students with at least 30 credit hours are offered spots first, Hysell said. After the returning student buy their passes, permits go on sale to anyone with less than 30 credit hours.
“Residential parking permits have premium demand, these are sold on a first-come, first-served basis via designated pre-sale dates,” Hysell said.
Freshmen are able to bring a car on campus, only a small portion of spots are set aside, and it’s not enough to accommodate the increasing class sizes.
Hysell said about 200-300 residential parking permits are reserved for freshmen.
TPS evaluates the number of residential parking allotments when appropriate but encourages the use of other transportation services.
There are shuttles that run during the day with three loops circling around the OU campus, according to the TPS website.
When the shuttles aren’t running, CATS Late Night takes over, according to the TPS website. The late night service runs during the evening throughout the week.
