In response to the high cost and low accessibility of parking passes, students and faculty are seeking parking options off campus, and local businesses are capitalizing on the situation.

On-campus parking passes for students start at $324 and are restricted to designated lots. Parking garage passes are $418, employee passes are $314 and all passes will increase in price for the 2010-11 school year.

Beau Compau, a junior construction management major, said he parks at different spots off campus each day.

“I don’t even think it’s worth it to purchase a pass when you can get by parking at other places for free,” said Compau, who appealed his fines this past year. “I parked on campus a lot last semester and got several tickets, but they still didn’t add up to the cost of a parking pass.”

Amy Ormsby, general manager of the Flagstaff Embassy Suites, said student parking has presented problems to the hotel, especially in the past year.

“Part of the problem is that no one asks; they just park,” Ormsby said. “We would be open to talking to students … if there were no problems with vandalization, theft or garbage on our lot.”

Ormsby said she is met with cussing, obscene gestures and rude behavior from students when she tells them not to park in the lot.

“I don’t have time to stand outside and police my parking lot,” Ormsby said.

The Embassy Suites, like other local businesses, tows unauthorized vehicles at its discretion. The hotel has also repeatedly boarded up its fence to block access from the NAU campus.

In addition to garbage, Ormsby said her issues with students include interfering with the hotel’s snow plowing efforts and causing some guests to not want to return to the hotel due to inadequate parking space.

Super Pawn has also responded to problems with unauthorized parking by issuing permits. Matt Demars-Rote, manager-in-training at Super Pawn, said the passes cost $1 per hour, $5 per day, $15 per week or $150 for the year. Faculty members are usually the ones who purchase the yearly passes.

“It’s not about making the most money; it’s about providing a service,” Demars-Rote said.

Unauthorized vehicles at Super Pawn receive tire locks that prevent vehicles from leaving the lot and cost $50 to remove.

The parking meters on campus used to offer a solution for visitors and those who only needed to park for an hour or less. Half of the parking meters on campus were removed this past summer, partly because vehicles with current passes parked at those meters most often.

Other alternatives exist for students, including the new kiosks at the entrance to campus, which provide a $5 day pass. The kiosks will allow visitors, faculty and students to purchase day passes for a low cost. Kiosks will eventually provide more ample parking options, but this alternative is currently restricted to south campus.

Parking and Shuttle Services’ policy states there is ample parking for students who need access to the library at night in Parking Lot 13, located behind Cline Library, that does not ticket after 4:30 p.m.

Lila Al-Ghizawi, a senior English education major, said she thinks NAU is being unfair.

“I have received tickets for parking in front of Cline Library as late as 9:45 p.m.,” Al-Ghizawi said. “I have a parking pass and still get $50 citations for parking in a different lot. I think there should be some way for students to access campus without paying $324.”

Compau said she has no other option but to park off campus.

“I live pretty far from campus, and my intention is not to hurt the businesses here,” Compau said. “But I still have to go to class, even if I can’t afford the parking pass.”