Parking and Transportation Services implemented a new system Wednesday for ordering parking permits online.

Students can order their permits through Blackboard using their Net ID and have the option to either pick them up at Parking Services or have them mailed to their address.

Donna Giammaresi, an information technology support specialist for Parking Services, said the main reason for the change is so students don’t have to remember another username and password.

She said students often forgot their login information when using the Parking Services Web site, despite the security questions. Students would then have to wait a day or two to receive an e-mail regarding their username and password.

Giammaresi said students usually log on to the Parking Services Web site once a year but use Blackboard regularly.

“This is a huge benefit for students. It creates a smoother and easier process for students when purchasing permits,” she said.

Manager of Fiscal and Business Administration for Parking Services Lorraine Caccavale said another benefit of the new system is that Parking Services can better identify the student purchasing the permit.

With the switch to Blackboard, students can also see if they have received any citations, she said.

Along with the new system, the office also increased the cost of permits by 3 percent, with the approval of USF’s Board of Trustees.

Parking Services offers parking permits for the entire year or per semester. Permits purchased for 2008-09 expire Aug. 9.

A nonresident permit for students costs $81 per semester or $161 annually. Resident permits for students costs $100 per semester or $199 annually. These prices don’t include the seven percent sales tax.

Because of the new online system, students are only able to purchase permits with a credit card. Students who wish to pay with cash or check must wait until Aug. 17, when
in-office sales begin.

If not purchasing online, students will first have to go to Parking Services to receive a voucher, then go to the Cashier’s Office to pay and obtain a receipt.

Students must then take the receipt back to Parking Services to pick up their permits.

Caccavale said resident permits often sell out quickly around mid-August or the beginning of September, and prices will gradually reduce each week starting in September.

For students looking to save money, Parking Services offers an economical park-and-ride pass that costs $54 annually, she said.

Students who purchase this pass can park in Lot 43 located off Fletcher Avenue by the USF Credit Union or Lot 18 located off Sycamore Drive by the athletic fields.

Caccavale said the Bull Runner will stop by those lots about every 8 to 10 minutes to transport those students to their desired location.