After several weeks of review and discussion with members of the Employee Assembly and others, university officials announced in a letter to employees June 27 that they have revised the 1997-98 parking plan unveiled in May. (See full text of letter above.)
Meg Hardie, chair of the Employee Assembly, thanked both administrators and fellow employees for their input, concern and commitment during the discussions.
"On behalf of the Employee Assembly and the employees of Cornell University, I would like to thank Dave Poland and the Employee Assembly Subcommittee on Transportation, Vice President Hal Craft, members of Transportation Services, Associate Vice President Mary George Opperman and especially Senior Vice President Fred Rogers for their work in revising the rate and designation structure from what was originally proposed," Hardie said. "We appreciate their time and awareness of an issue that is of great importance to all employees. Their recognition of the increased rates and the problems this was causing employees is apparent through the new changes.
"I would also like to thank all of the employees who wrote letters, signed petitions, called their deans, to communicate their concern with the rates on future employee morale. Hats off to employees for standing up to an important issue," she said.
The plan aims to balance parking demands in the most congested areas of campus and includes a three-year commitment to maintain commuting options such as OmniRide, RideShare, Occasional Parker and a no-fee parking option for faculty and staff. It increases some parking fees, decreases others and alters some parking permit designations.
Carl Cohen, Transportation Services assistant director for parking and commuter services, urged employees who have questions about the revised plan to call 255-PARK for information. He also suggested that employees who want to change their parking permit or who want to purchase a permit for one of the new permit designations, C and HH, do so as soon as possible at the Transportation Office, 116 Maple Ave.
"Permits for these lots are being issued on a first-come, first-served basis, so people need to act quickly," Cohen said.