Sep 05, 2008
University administration established a new vehicle policy in late July in response to several issues being faced such as budget cuts, conserving energy and limited parking on campus.
The new policy aims to create more parking for students by limiting the number of University vehicle spaces on campus. This will occur by removing department vehicles that do not fulfill new University vehicle guidelines.
“Limiting parking spaces for the golf carts and other vehicles will add additional student and staff parking spaces to our inventory,” said Bill Foster, director of Parking and Transportation.
“This will occur as the number of University cars, trucks and vans declines,” he said.
Foster says that that only a handful of State Vehicle spaces have been converted to regular parking, but he and Parking and
Transportation expecct the number to increase over the next few weeks.
According to Foster, University owned vehicles need to serve specific needs and be used on a constant basis. Criteria for a department to show sufficient need for a vehicle includes fulfilling the job functions of Public Safety, student compliance, student recruitment or for constant intra and intercampus transportation of the University community and handling of heavy or dangerous material.
“Constant means the vehicle is used daily,” Foster said. Infrequent or sporadic needs will be handled by using the new University Vehicle Pool Program, in which the surplus vehicles will be housed and vehicles will be assigned departments based on levels of University prioritization.
A maintenance fee for the vehicle pool is being changed to all University departments as well. Although the new policy addresses the current parking issues at the University, the financial benefits of the policy cannot be overlooked.
“While the new policy’s intent is to clearly define the justification for a vehicle, the limited purchase of new vehicles and an anticipated reduction of the fleet will save the University significant dollars in purchase prices, gas and maintenance,” Foster said.
Also, the program is esponsible for saving the Educational & General Funds over $300,000, and the Parking and Transportation excpects more money to be saved int the future.
Director of Recreation Services Rob Frye is in charge of all the intramural games held at FIU. His department needs two golf carts to transport game equipment. Although the carts do occupy parking spaces, they have to be registered and paid for.
Even so, Frye understands why his department is still required to register the vehicles.
“For the most part, I think the policy makes sense. It does put some financial obligations on departments that have vehicles, for some things that they didn’t have to pay for before. But overall it makes a safer campus,” Frye said.
The results have been positive, according to Foster, with new vehicle purchases being put on hold and the justification process, required for all currently owned vehicles, almost complete. An initial reduction in University vehicles has been seen, with the motor pool already established for departmental use.
Further reduction of vehicles is anticipated by the University and, for the most part, reaction from the University faculty is positive.
“Well, even though [the College of Medicine does not] have golf carts, the new policy certainly makes sense. It’ll cut down on dilapidated vehicles. Somebody has to keep them maintained, which they can do in the vehicle pool,” said Robert Dollinger, assistant dean of Student Affairs at the College of Medicine.
“I don’t want to see golf carts on sidewalks, getting in the way of pedestrians at the University. There also needs to be more rules as to where they can be parked, like in the perimeter roads or near the loading areas. This resolves a lot of issues,” Dollinger said.
To justify ownership and usage of University vehicles departments must fill out a justification form for each vehicle. Regulations outlined in the policy must be met and each department dean or vice president must then approve the form.
The Department of Parking and Transportation will then determine whether to put the vehicle in the pool or dispose of it.