The annual distribution of commuter parking permits to the MIT community this year will include several changes from previous years.
The 1993-1994 administrative fee for parking has been increased to $20 per sticker. This fee covers the cost of the stickers, application forms, parking publications, clerical and computer support efforts related to the distribution of stickers and other associated costs.
It does not cover the cost of constructing, maintaining or monitoring parking facilities. During the fall, the Planning Office will review and update a 1986 report on parking policy and examine the feasibility and implications of establishing a rate for parking that would offset more of the operating expenses.
Although the number of parking spaces and facilities has remained constant, they have, whenever possible, been clustered to provide flexibility for employees. The primary parking areas are listed below by area designation, sticker color and parking facilities included:
East, yellow sticker, Sloan Lot and Hermann Garage, Amherst Lot, Hayward Lot, and Deacon and E10 Lots.
Northeast, dark green, East Garage, Annex and Lots.
North, burgundy, N10 (expanded), Albany Garage and Annex, Windsor Street Lot, WW15 and W91 Lots. West, orange, West Garage and Annex.
West Lot, light blue, Vassar Street Lot (previously 243 and 275 Vassar Street).
Northwest, light green, Pacific Street Lot.
All other lots will retain their current designations.
Beginning with FY94, there will be no commuter allocations issued for the Ford Lot adjacent to Building E19.
During the late summer and fall, the West Lot (Vassar Street), N10 Lot (North area), East Garage Annex and Deacon Street Lot will be landscaped and upgraded. A few lots will be enlarged. The former student commuter lot on Pacific Street and the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority (CRA) lot on the corner of Ames and Main will no longer be part of the MIT parking inventory beginning in October 1993. All graduate student commuter permits will be assigned to the West Lot on Vassar Street. A new security system is being installed at the Westgate Resident Lot.
Historically, MIT has allocated employee commuter parking permits through individual departments because local administrators have the best knowledge of individual employee needs. Residential parking has likewise been allocated through individual residences.
Until this year, the only segment of the population required to request parking centrally and in a restricted time frame has been commuting graduate students. This year MIT has elected to provide local control to academic departments, again because local administrators have the best knowledge of their students' needs.
Eligible graduate students should request parking applications from their graduate administrator or the departmental parking coordinator. Eligibility for a graduate student permit is determined solely by the location of local residence. Students living in Cambridge (ZIP codes 02138-02142), Boston (02101-02129, 02134, 02158-02238), Somerville (02143-02144) and a few other communities are excluded from receiving parking privileges. A detailed list of ZIP codes is available from academic departments, Campus Police Parking and Traffic or the Planning Office, .
A version of this article appeared in the August 25, 1993 issue of MIT Tech Talk (Volume 38, Number 3).
