Carleton University's parking pass limitations anger students, unions
'By denying parking permits on the sole basis of U-Pass status, Carleton University is effectively forcing our students to choose between reliable transportation and essential accessibility,' the statement reads.
Article content
'We call on Carleton University Parking Services to immediately reverse the changes brought forward with regard to restricting permits to those with a U-Pass waiver, and make student parking permits accessible to all students, regardless of their status.'
Article content
CUSA also released a petition opposing the parking pass restrictions this past week. The petition garnered more than 1,000 signatures as of July 24, according to Joe-Ezigbo, who added this was 'only the beginning.'
Article content
'We'll be looking at collective action and demonstrations if they refuse … to come to the table on this issue,' he said. 'Right now, I think the main thing is that we need to be able to bring the university to the table and have a real conversation as to what needs to happen from here to move forward.'
Article content
Article content
Joe-Ezigbo said he had not yet been in direct communication with university representatives about the parking limitations, and Carleton University did not respond to questions about whether it had engaged in conversations with student groups about the situation.
Article content
'I think that this decision was one that wasn't very well thought through by the university,' Joe-Ezigbo said. 'I'm very hopeful that we can bring about a positive resolution to this.'
Article content
Article content
The parking limitations disrupt commuting plans for students such as second-year Morgan Pickard, who normally drives to campus from her home in Stittsville.
Article content
'There's just so many cons to the busing system that I worry (busing) might affect my classes or if I have an exam,' she said. 'I couldn't imagine taking the bus early in the morning.'
Article content
It takes Pickard 30 to 40 minutes to drive to campus, but it can take up to two hours with OC Transpo, she added. Her commuting plans for next year involve splitting her week to take the bus some days, carpool on others, or pay the daily $12 parking fee.
Article content
Article content
'It will definitely affect me financially,' she said.
Article content
For some students, like fourth-year Stephon Farrow, who benefits from the New Ways to Bus system — Route 48 now takes him directly from his home to Carleton — the parking limitations won't impact their commute.
Article content
'Being able to park on campus is a privilege and not a right,' he said. 'It's a limited resource that does need rationing.'
Article content
But the majority of students, Joe-Ezigbo said, are 'just frustrated' about the change.
Article content
'I'm not somebody that typically gets annoyed by a lot of things, but this is something that I'm really passionate about,' Joe-Ezigbo said. 'It's something that has the capacity to affect a lot of students' lives, and it just isn't fair.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Ottawa Citizen
27-07-2025
- Ottawa Citizen
Carleton University's parking pass limitations anger students, unions
Article content 'By denying parking permits on the sole basis of U-Pass status, Carleton University is effectively forcing our students to choose between reliable transportation and essential accessibility,' the statement reads. Article content 'We call on Carleton University Parking Services to immediately reverse the changes brought forward with regard to restricting permits to those with a U-Pass waiver, and make student parking permits accessible to all students, regardless of their status.' Article content CUSA also released a petition opposing the parking pass restrictions this past week. The petition garnered more than 1,000 signatures as of July 24, according to Joe-Ezigbo, who added this was 'only the beginning.' Article content 'We'll be looking at collective action and demonstrations if they refuse … to come to the table on this issue,' he said. 'Right now, I think the main thing is that we need to be able to bring the university to the table and have a real conversation as to what needs to happen from here to move forward.' Article content Article content Joe-Ezigbo said he had not yet been in direct communication with university representatives about the parking limitations, and Carleton University did not respond to questions about whether it had engaged in conversations with student groups about the situation. Article content 'I think that this decision was one that wasn't very well thought through by the university,' Joe-Ezigbo said. 'I'm very hopeful that we can bring about a positive resolution to this.' Article content Article content The parking limitations disrupt commuting plans for students such as second-year Morgan Pickard, who normally drives to campus from her home in Stittsville. Article content 'There's just so many cons to the busing system that I worry (busing) might affect my classes or if I have an exam,' she said. 'I couldn't imagine taking the bus early in the morning.' Article content It takes Pickard 30 to 40 minutes to drive to campus, but it can take up to two hours with OC Transpo, she added. Her commuting plans for next year involve splitting her week to take the bus some days, carpool on others, or pay the daily $12 parking fee. Article content Article content 'It will definitely affect me financially,' she said. Article content For some students, like fourth-year Stephon Farrow, who benefits from the New Ways to Bus system — Route 48 now takes him directly from his home to Carleton — the parking limitations won't impact their commute. Article content 'Being able to park on campus is a privilege and not a right,' he said. 'It's a limited resource that does need rationing.' Article content But the majority of students, Joe-Ezigbo said, are 'just frustrated' about the change. Article content 'I'm not somebody that typically gets annoyed by a lot of things, but this is something that I'm really passionate about,' Joe-Ezigbo said. 'It's something that has the capacity to affect a lot of students' lives, and it just isn't fair.'
CTV News
15-07-2025
- CTV News
Carleton University students frustrated as school moves to restrict on-campus parking passes
A new parking policy at Carleton University means some students will no longer be allowed to buy a parking permit. CTV's Camille Wilson reports. Students are frustrated after Carleton University decided it would be cracking down on parking permits for some students. Carleton says they will not issue passes to students who live within Ottawa and have access to OC Transpo, starting in September. It includes students living in Stittsville, Kanata, Orleans, Manotick, Clarence-Rockland, Carleton Place and Smiths Falls. The only students able to get parking passes are those who reside outside of the OC Transpo service area. Jacob Bronsther, a Carleton student who lives in Stittsville, says commuting to the university by car is convenient for his school, work and extra curriculars. 'Taking the city bus from my house to Carleton University is roughly a two-hour bus ride,' said Bronsther, 'Carleton University didn't think about students who may live in rural transit area.' Carleton University A parking structure at Carleton University on July 14, 2025. (Camille Wilson/CTV News Ottawa) Carleton University says parking is full and recognizes the traffic congestion on campus. With the LRT now running to campus and access to busses, they are encouraging students to use transit. 'Following the permanent closure of the P9 parking garage, Carleton no longer has the capacity to meet historic levels of student parking permit demand,' Carleton University said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa. The university says because of the high demand for parking on campus, students who live outside of Ottawa's transit boundary will still need to purchase a U-Pass waiver permit from the school to park. Students who live inside the OC Transpo service area and choose to drive will have to pay a minimum of $12 a day for parking, with some lots offering limited time to park. Student Yazan Awad says he lives close by but loves the convenience of his car to get him around after classes. 'If I want to depend on the bus, I could be late for school. Leaving school, I'll have to wait for that bus to leave as well. The whole day I'll be adding an extra hour easily,' said Awad. 'I don't think that OC Transpo is as efficient as it should be.' Students are raising the concerns after paying for tuition, textbooks and living expenses for next semester. 'It's a lot to ask for a student, especially when a lot of students are trying to make ends meet. Unfortunately $12 a day to park on campus is a lot for most students,' said Bronsther. Bronsther said he was able to purchase a parking pass for around $560 for the whole year last year. 'When you impose something like that, you're basically asking the people to pay more money, especially in times where the economy is really bad already,' said Awad.
Winnipeg Free Press
30-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Generating goodwill at the parking meter
Opinion Recent reports from the City of Winnipeg about plans to remove all the downtown parking meters left our household upset. We're among the 20 per cent who use the meters. We dig out change or use a credit card. On nice days, we can walk downtown, but when transporting kids or in bad weather, we rely on the meters. Based on anecdotal evidence, the meters sometimes failed. Apparently, so did the phone app that replaces it. The city's efforts to boost downtown visitor numbers should target that 20 per cent — the occasional visitors who haven't downloaded an app but rely on meters instead. This news story made me remember a better parking experience. BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS There are better ways for the City of Winnipeg to handle getting rid of its parking pay stations, which will be removed between July 2 and Aug. 31. A pay station is pictured along Broadway Avenue on May 21. Our family was on summer vacation in Western New York. We took a highway exit to Jamestown. Parking on a hilltop, in the middle of downtown, we put our coins in the old-fashioned crank parking meter and walked, admiring the landscape, to a nice restaurant for lunch. The food was good. When we decided to have dessert, my husband sorted out more change for the meter. We had extra time to stroll downtown, see lake views, window shop and see a comedy centre, inspired by Lucille Ball, who was from Jamestown. We remembered this positive break from the road fondly. In comparison, we encountered numerous 'E-Z-Pass' incidents which left us frazzled. Many highways require tolls but no longer have a payment system without a physical device in the car. We tried to get around Chicago while I scrambled to figure out how to pay for our tolls online. I still don't know if we covered those tolls, though we honestly tried. If Winnipeg wants people to feel comfortable coming downtown, the city should provide alternatives to a reliance on a phone app. Ernie Nuytten suggests in a letter to the editor on May 24 that these parking booklets should be available wherever Winnipeg Transit tickets are sold. Ursula Delfing writes that parking near the downtown 'Parking Store' be free, to avoid getting tickets while trying to obtain a parking booklet. Like our troubles taking toll roads on vacation when we lacked the local 'passes,' Edwin Buettner suggests how difficult these systems would be for those who live outside the city but must come in on occasion for appointments downtown. City employees calculated the savings of removing the meters, but what are the costs of failing to provide access to downtown parking for those without cellphones, tourists, and out-of-town Manitobans who need medical care? The city must calculate costs to provide parking booklet sales elsewhere in the city, especially at hotels and convenience stores. When we discussed these parking issues, other solutions came up. Our household lives in a city neighbourhood. We must have parking permits for street parking. Yearly, we take photos of our driver's licences, car registration, and submit a form. Eventually someone calls us back and takes payment over the phone. What if, after the first registration, we received a 'renewal' email that said, 'According to city records, you live at the same address and have the same two cars as last year. Care to renew your permit? If so, click here. Pay online.' This would reduce costs and save time for the city and those who need street parking. A bigger revenue generator could follow. When tradespeople visit a city neighbourhood like ours with permit parking, they risk tickets if they park for too long. High school students parking on streets near private schools also risk tickets daily. Those who go downtown but fail to make the app or the meter work also hazard parking tickets. Imagine a 'super pass.' The city could set a flat fee, payable once a year, so that electricians, plumbers, realtors, students and theatre-goers could park legally in metered or permit areas without using an app or risking a ticket. The super pass would be available online, or at convenience stores and other locations where people might get parking booklets. Winnipeggers and tourists could choose options: download the app, buy single tickets for one trip to a downtown doctor's office or buy a whole year's pass and stop worrying about parking. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. Of course, the yearly fee concept must be worked out, but $500 or more might result in more visitor traffic downtown and many fewer parking tickets. Reducing system inefficiencies, like creating an easy online renewal system that links up with our addresses and car registrations, would also reduce costs. This might boost interest in coming downtown to the Exchange, to theatre venues or festivals. Offering multiple options for parking payment might boost the city's coffers. Better yet, it could reduce citizens' anger over the difficulties in downtown parking and the parking tickets that follow. Jamestown, N.Y. is a long way away. Even so, I'd go right back to crank my change in the old-fashioned meters, check out the scenery, eat a good lunch, and wander its historic downtown. City officials should think about how coming downtown can generate goodwill as well as income. Ripping out the current parking meters may be necessary, but it's what follows that matters. Obstacles to parking will build or destroy Winnipeggers' interest in visiting downtown. Offering multiple approaches to future downtown parking creates a better, more inclusive outcome for all of us. Joanne Seiff, a Winnipeg author, has been contributing opinions and analysis to the Free Press since 2009.
