By: James Morgan
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV) – University of Arkansas students and faculty will see some changes to parking identification in the fall semester, with a new license plate technology replacing parking stickers.
David Wilson, the U of A transit and parking communications director, said the University is transitioning to license plate recognition at the start of August.
“It’s a technology that allows parking enforcement as they drive through parking areas to scan the parking license plates on the vehicles,” Wilson said. “Right away it will tell them if anyone is parked there who doesn’t have the appropriate parking permit.”
The only change drivers will face with this new parking identification method is the enforcement of forward-faced parking on campus.
“They’ll have to park with the license plate on their vehicle facing the drive lane, whether it’s in a garage or in a parking lot,” Wilson said.
Vehicles from states with license plates on both the front and back, such as Texas, will still be able to park in either orientation.
Wilson also said that students can purchase an identifying plate for the front of their vehicle from transit and parking for $15 if they still want to park with the front of the vehicle facing outward.
Anyone who is changing vehicles or license plates will just need to update their vehicle details on the transit and parking website to transfer their parking permit.
“Some of those transitions are going to be done easily because they’re done online and it’s all electronic,” Wilson said.
Though the changes will slightly affect the way students and faculty will be able to park, there are no changes to the way parking is regulated on campus.
“There’s not really any new regulations.” David Wilson, the U of A transit and parking communications director, said. “we’re changing how the parking enforcement monitors the parking areas.”
The parking identification changes will go into effect at the start of August and remain in effect through the start of the fall semester.
