This fall Seton Hall implemented a new electronic parking permit system called NuPark, has been implemented for the South Orange campus.
The new parking permit system allows a vehicle’s license plate to become the permit, eliminating the need for physical parking passes for long term permits.
Short term passes, however, such as daily and overnight passes are still physical passes.
According to the Ann Szipszky, the Parking Services Manager, physical parking passes that are still in use will eventually be phased out and replaced with the electronic system.
Along with the new electronic passes, there are other new features with this parking services upgrade. At both the front and back gates of campus there are cameras installed to be able to record each vehicle that either enters or exits the Seton Hall main campus. The cameras will assist in documenting violations and enforcing the parking rules, according to Szipszky.
Mikalia Morris, a senior diplomacy and international relations major who keeps her car on campus has noticed a difference with the new permits, “I have noticed that it takes less time to come through the guard booth,” Morris said. “I believe that this could be because of electronic parking permits because maybe people do not stop as often at the booth.”
The electronic parking permits have also aided in the enforcement of the parking regulations. As opposed to public safety walking through the parking lots in previous years, there are now mobile units that drive through the lots, scan all license plates and verify permits as well as verify that they are parked in a valid spot.
Szipszky says that she believes these mobile units as well as the cameras allow enforcement to be quicker and more efficient.
Kimani Key, a senior business major who commutes, has an electronic parking pass and said that she had no trouble with the electronic passes as compared to the traditional paper passes thus far.
“I guess it is more effective for parking services to see who is abusing the rules,” Key said when asked if she believes the electronic passes are more efficient than the paper passes.
According to Szipszky, enforcement should be “ramped up” now that the add/drop period is over and everyone should have their parking permits at this point.
The electronic passes, mobile units and cameras working will allow pictures to document every violation.
These violations are documented and sent automatically via email to the person that the vehicle is registered under about half an hour post-violation. Unidentified and non-registered vehicles with citations will be booted as a result, Szipszky said.
“The only thing I’ve noticed is an increased amount of cars with the yellow boots on the tire from parking services,” Key said when speaking on whether or not she saw any difference with the electronic passes vs the physical passes.
Overall, Szipszky believes that the system is much better than the old physical permits. Not only does the electronic system allow for better enforcement and documentation, it is also better for students. The permits become active immediately upon purchase, eliminating the time that it takes to get the permit in the mail.
Said Morris, “The electronic permits are convenient because it allows people to automatically get their permits instead of having to go to parking services to get the parking pass.”
Elizabeth Rodriguez can be reached at elizabeth.rodriguez@student.shu.edu.
