With the start of the fall semester, a wave of new freshmen and transfer students will learn about the parking rules and regulations of UM-St. Louis the hard way.

Perennially high on the list of students' concerns is the cost of parking passes and parking tickets at this mostly commuter University.

Leonidas Gutierrez, director of Parking and Transportation Services, wants new students to understand that if they follow the rules, parking should not be a problem.

"The purpose [of parking citations] is not to look for a way to get illegal parkers," Gutierrez said. "The idea is to control parking, so we don't have a situation where those who have a permit and a right to park can't find a spot."

In 2004, Parking and Transportation generated $345,000 in parking citation revenue.

Writing tickets, however, is not all that Parking and Transportation does. Located at 7700 Florissant Road, the department is located ideally to serve students who take I-70.

Parking and Transportation offers free daily parking passes to students who have a pass that is affixed to another car. They also provide appeal forms for students who believe they were wrongly ticketed.

For $10 a day students can also purchase daily parking passes. Parking permits for cars are $18 per credit hour for students, half that for motorcycles. Full time teachers pay $62 per month, while part time teachers pay half that.

Parking stickers are supposed to be affixed to the window on the outside of the car. Tickets will be given for improper display of the tag.

"We get a lot of complaints for no reason. Students are losing a lot of time for no reason. If students affix the pass to the outside of their car, there would not be a problem," Gutierrez said.

Passes left on the dashboard of the car are stolen at much higher rates than those affixed to windows. It is also easier to pass the parking permit around to friends, Gutierrez said.

Summer is a slow time for Parking and Transportation. The flow of students ebbs, and parking lots remain empty. Parking and Transportation spends that time preparing the parking lots for the fall.

More than $30,000 of work has been put into the lots. Fresh yellow lines have been painted in student parking lots and fresh white lines were painted in teacher parking lots. In addition, clearer and more visible parking signs have been made. These renovations are all part of the University's plan to conserve green areas.

"We try to focus on and promote walking and alternate forms of transportation," Gutierrez said.

Students can use their free Metrolink and bus passes provided by the University or the new Ferguson bike trail, which opened during the end of last semester, Gutierrez said, adding it is the only way to truly solve any parking problems.

Students can also appeal parking tickets to the Student Court, which is comprised of a board of three students who hear appeals on issues ranging from academics to parking.

For an appeal, students must show grounds for a reversal of a ticket, along with any proof pertinent to the case. Students should use the Parking and Transportation Regulations and Guidelines, which are available on the Internet and inside the Parking and Transportation office.

If you want to appeal a ticket:
* You have two weeks to appeal a University parking ticket.
* Ticket appeal forms are available at the Parking and Transportation office at 7700 Florissant Rd. (across from the Fine Arts Building).

Make sure your parking pass is displayed correctly
Permits must be affixed to the lower left outside rear window, driver's side of standard automobiles. For convertibles, and trucks - apply to outside front windshield, lower right-hand corner, passenger's side.