“I think it’s a joke that they make salaried employees pay to park,” said Bridget Protas, a project manager in the Department of Epidemiology.

Protas said she refuses to pay for parking on campus and instead parks across Grand River Avenue and walks into campus.

Because the parking division does not receive funding from the university, they have to use the permit prices to cover their costs, which include building of new parking ramps and maintenance of the parking lots.

“Nobody wants to see the prices go up,” said Forman, who said inflation in the parking system has increased substantially the past few years. “Unfortunately, it’s not getting any cheaper.”

Prices of student parking permits also are increasing. Permits for the commuter lot, located on Mount Hope Road and Farm Lane, will increase from $71 to $85 next year.

Parking at residence hall lots 75, 83 and 91, near Brody, South and East complexes will increase from $143 to $170. Lots 25, near Owen Hall, and 65, in Brody Complex, will increase from $214 to $256.

Costs also are expected to rise for the 2009-10 academic year, Forman said.

Criminal justice junior Mallory DePetro said she understands that prices on everything are increasing.

“It’s unfortunate, just because we’re college students and we don’t have a lot of money,” she said.

“But I guess it’s necessary just because our economy. They have to adjust as the economy adjusts. In order to keep maintenance and stuff they have to do it.”

To counter costs, faculty and staff have been given alternate options for parking.

“They can choose to buy a commuter lot permit or we offer carpool permits, which are the same thing as a regular permit, divided by how many people are in the car,” Forman said.

Though rates of permits are rising, meter costs and parking fines will remain the same.

Becky Odle, who works as a health care assistant at Olin Health Center, said she is just glad to have a space to park.

“We would have to get to work at least a half an hour early sometimes,” said Odle, who parks in the new Grand River Avenue parking ramp, also known as Ramp 6. “We would have to drive around looking for a spot.”