By: Bob Browand

Happy February Coogs!

This month we’re launching an informative blog series that will explore all of the ins and outs of our department. From the services we offer to budgeting breakdowns, you’ll learn a little more about a specific area of parking and transportation services each week. To kick off the month, let’s dive into what sort of services we provide the campus community.

When people think of UH’s Parking and Transportation Services department, a lot of focus seems to be placed on the parking side of things. The price of permits, where to park, etc.

But just as our department name says, there’s actually a lot more to us than just parking lots and permit sales. Below is a breakdown of the multiple services and offerings we provide the campus community.

Parking permits – Our department is responsible for the creation, sale and management of all parking permits across campus. Whether you have an economy sticker or a reserved permit it came out of our office.

Shuttle services – My team and I manage the University’s partnership with Groome Transportation to ensure we have dependable buses and friendly drivers to help everyone get around campus a little easier.

Zipcar – While Zipcar is its own independent entity, they work very closely with my team and me to reach the campus community. We advise them on best practices and connect them with necessary campus resources.

METRO – Just like Zipcar, our role with METRO is more of an advisory one. We understand that several students, faculty and staff utilize the city’s public transportation system, so to make that process a little easier we work hard to ensure that features like our online student discount Q fare card ordering system and the Q fare card reloading station at the Welcome Center are not only in place, but also in good working condition.  

Parking lot and street maintenance – The campus depends on us to ensure that all University parking lots and streets are in good, safe condition. Potholes, cracks and uneven lanes are dangerous and can lead to unnecessary wear and tear on vehicles, so we work to find only the best contractors to make quick and effective repairs, as our budget allows.

Parking enforcement – We in parking and transportation services are not just responsible for the physical condition of the lots, but also for ensuring every vehicle is parked legally. Every day our enforcement team hits the pavement around campus to make sure that people are parked in their appropriate lot and that vehicles are not illegally parked in handicapped spaces, fire lanes or driveways.

Event parking – When a large event is expected to be held on campus, we are brought into the planning process to ensure that the specific parking and traffic needs are met. We advise on what’s doable, what’s been done in the past and proper protocol.

Visitor parking – We manage and maintain all visitor parking areas, from the garages to the Luke meters on campus.

As you can see, we are a busy department with lots to do across campus. If you ever have any questions or concerns regarding any of these service offerings, feel free to reach out to us at 832-842-1097 or via email at parking@uh.edu. Be sure to check back next Tuesday to learn about some of the common misperceptions surrounding UHPTS and its responsibilities. 

published: Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016