» Parking rate changes announced
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Parking rate changes announced

First increase in 15 years

By Mark Shelton
UMass Medical School Communications 
May 3, 2012 

  plantation-street-garage-rendering-spot
 An additional 1,440 spaces will be added upon completion of the new Plantation Street garage, shown here in an architectural rendering.
  
Parking rates for all employees and visitors to the UMass Worcester campuses, including UMass Memorial Health Care’s University Campus, will increase on July 1, Robert E. Jenal, executive vice chancellor of administration and finance, has announced. Student parking rates will also change.

“Over the course of the last 15 years, UMMS, in partnership with UMass Memorial, has made significant investments in parking infrastructure to support the growing academic, research, clinical care and service activities of both institutions,” said Jenal. “Through judicious management of the parking program, patient parking has been increased by 550 spaces and employee permits have increased by 1,000, with only 500 new spaces added to the campus. An additional 1,440 spaces will be added upon completion of the new Plantation Street garage.”

Despite these investments and increasing costs, campus parking rates have been kept stable for 15 years. However, based on currently projected infrastructure and maintenance needs, parking rates must be increased to meet the overall operational costs of the parking system.

Rates will increase for all employees of UMMS and UMass Memorial who park on the University Campus; at Biotech I, II, IV and V; the Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute; Century Drive; Shaw; Auburn; South Street; and the Worcester Foundation Campus.

Those who park at the Assembly of God and Spag’s lots as part of the UMMS shuttle program (and who do not currently pay for parking) will begin to pay for parking when the new Plantation Street garage opens in December 2012 and all shuttle lots close.

Employees in the shuttle program will be assigned to the new Plantation Street garage and pay the unreserved rate. The Plantation Street garage will include a free campus shuttle, with details to be publicized as the opening date nears.

“Employees in reserved parking who would prefer to shift to unreserved may elect to do so; employees wishing to change to a lower cost reserved lot will be placed on a waiting list for the lot they request,” said Jenal.

Employees who choose to park in UMMS lots or garages must enroll in the parking program.

The new rates, effective July 1, are as follows:

  • Employees
    •  Unreserved, from $6/week to $8/week
    • Reserved, from $11.08 to $17/week
    • Reserved, from $12 to $18/week
    • Reserved, from $13 to $20/week
    • Reserved, from $16.62 to $30/week
  • Per-diem and part-time employees, from $3 to $4 per week
  • Patient/Visitor Parking, South Garage
    • 2 hours or less, from $2 to $3
    • 3-4 hours, from $3 to $5
    • 4-6 hours (current maximum rate), from $4 to $6
    • More than 6 hours, new rate of $8