Parking and GoPass information

Submitted by Jeff Keever

Summer Quarter Gopasses are now available for pick up in the Transportation Office (BE1112) only for those of you who have payroll deduction for this.

For those of you who are Hourly, or PT Faculty, or those who have not opted for payroll deduction, the Gopasses and Quarterly parking permits will be available for you to purchase beginning this coming Monday, June 22 at the cashier’s office. For those of you who normally just purchase the “punch card” parking days, this will also be available to purchase from the cashier beginning this coming Monday.

Students will also be able to purchase these beginning this coming Monday.

The prices for this upcoming fiscal year (FY 2009-10) are as follows, and are in addition to the standing $10 TMP fee:

Gopass
$45 per quarter
Individual Parking Rates
0-33.9% of FT = $49.00 per quarter
34-50% of FT = $73.50 per quarter
50.1%-66.9% of FT = $98.25 per quarter
67% or more of FT = $147.25 per quarter

Carpool Rate
$83.25 per quarter
Reserved Space Rate
$238.00 per quarter

Please note that the rates for teaching faculty and temporary hourly staff during the summer are reduced by 1/3, due only to the shorter quarter, and the shorter amount of time those folks will be working.

These new rates have been posted on the Transportation area on the SCCC website. The increases in parking prices are due mostly to the increase in Seattle City Parking tax to 10%, and the additional expense of paying the retail sales tax (of 9.5%), total of 19.5% taxes the District pays on each parking permit sold. Therefore, every quarter, when you have paid your $147.25, approximately $29 of that goes toward taxes. The rest mostly goes towards making up the difference between the actual price the District pays for each Gopass, and the amount we charge each individual who receives one (the District subsidizes the Gopass heavily). A portion of the monies collected for this TMP fund, as we call it, gets funneled back to Central, and goes toward paying the salaries and benefits of the parking attendants here at Central.

I understand these are steep price increases, and that everyone’s personal financial situation is strained these days. These increases were unavoidable, given the deficit the District TMP fund faces.

Please also remember that I had promised to add additional “punch card” days for those of you who either use the Gopass or walk/bike to work, and for whatever reason need to drive more often during the summer. The break between summer and fall quarter is an unusually long one, and I realize it is also a very busy time for some of you, and you might need to drive more often. Please contact me personally if you need additional punch card days (other than the usual 12 you already receive).