History of the Parking and Transportation Committee

Depending on how far back you would like to go, the Parking & Transportation Advisory Committee has been in existence for quite some time. Authority for the old State University Board to develop parking policies and delegating that power to local University Presidents was the system in place when the 1995 Legislature adopted the following provision pretaining to the new Minnesota State system:

M.S. 136F.54.Sec.38 Parking and Traffic Regulation. Subd.1. Board Power. Notwithstanding section 169.966, the board may authorize a state college or university to adopt and enforce policies, regulations, or ordinances for the regulation of traffic and parking in parking facilities and on private roads and roadways situated on property owned,leased, occupied, or operated by the state college or university.

M.S. 136.E.05 Local Advisory Committees Subd. 1. Appointment. The president may appoint a local advisory committee for each campus. Committee members must be qualified people who have knowledge of and interest in the campus.

In the spring of 1987, then President Margaret Preska endorsed a new management approach to parking here at MSU. That new system was based on a "separation of powers" where policy, budget, and map issues were given to the Parking Advisory Committee,
enforcement left to Safety and Security (now Parking & Traffic Services), and citation appeals to an independent Parking Appeals Board. Prior to that decision it was not uncommon to hear complaints that Safety and Security basically ran all three functions putting those who were trying to appeal tickets in the uncomfortable position of facing people who were both judge and jury.

This new system was highlighted in the "1987-88 Parking and Traffic Regulations" handbook given to each person buying a parking permit. Specifically, the handbook, which was approved by the President, stated:

VII. Policy Development and Planning. A Parking Advisory Committe has been established to develop recommendations on all parking policies and submit development plans for review and modification. The Committee reports to the President through the Administrative Affairs Vice President. Voting members include a representative from the IFO Faculty Association, MSUAASF (Mankato State University Assn. of Administrative and Service Faculty), classified employee organizations, the Student Senate of the Mankato State Student Assn. and the Administration.

The text then listed these five PAC Members:

David Cowan, PAC Chair - Budget & Auxiliary Service Director
Rose Marie Ley - Classified Employee
Representative Bill Steil - MSUAASF President
Tim Wierzbicki - Mankato State Student Association President
Joe Hogan - IFO Faculty Association President

In the fall of 1988 refinements in the language were added to the Committee's "charge" so it then read:

A Parking Advisory Committee has been established to develop recommendations on all parking policies, designate permit stall locations and color assignments, and submit delveopment plans for review and modification.

In the fall of 1989 the reporting system was modified to read:

The Committee reports to the President through the Vice President for Operations.

1989-90 was the same year that the voting membership increased by one to a new level of six with the addition of: . . . a representative of the Residence Hall Association.

In 1992-93 the charge to the Advisory Committee was changed to:

A Parking Advisory Committee has been established to develop recommendations on all parking policies. The PAC also designates permit stall locations and color assignments, and submits development plans for review and modification, and reviews the budget of this self-sustaining program.

For the first time the PAC's mission statement appears in the 1993-94 parking guidelines handbook:

"Our goal is to provide parking and transportation alternatives to meet the needs of students, faculty, stall and guests of the campus."

"Lot maintenance" language showed up in the 1995-96 charge to the Committee:

The Parking Advisory Committee (PAC) exists to develop recommendations on all parking policies, lot maintenance projects and budgets of Mankato State's self-sustaining parking program. The PAC also designates permit stall locations and permit color assignments, and submits lot development plans for review and modification.

Also in 1995-96, in an attempt to clear up questions on who appoints the Residence Hall Association Representative, this language was adopted to indicate that the RHA representative needed to have Mankato State Student Assocation sanction and approval consistent with the new student constitution:

. . . a representative of the Residence Hall Association of the MSSA,

1999-2000 handbook reflects the University's name change with the old "Mankato State" dropped.

The 2001-02 edition of the "Parking & Traffic Guidelines" handbook reflects has these references:

Mission Statement - Our mission is to provide parking and transportation alternatives to meet the needs of the students, faculty, staff, and guests of the campus.

In 2012-13 the Parking Advisory Committee changed its name to the Parking & Transportation Advisory Committee to reflect is assumption of new responsibilities including the greatly expanded leased busing service under annual contract between the Mankato Transit System and the University. This was the year that a student approved initiative known as the "Green Transportation Fee" went into effect which increased the Student Activity Fee investment in busing by the equivalent of a mandatory 75 cents per credit hour and allowed for "free" rides anywhere in Mankato/North Mankato with the presentation of the MavCard ID. Routes touching apartment complexes nearby to the campus were expanded, as well as service hours and days of service. Bus ridership during the 8 month academic year surged from 200,000 in 2011-12 to 500,000 in 2015-16. Students no longer had to pay $45 a semester for a bus pass and now could ride "free" by showing their MavCard.