<font color=red>Web Extra:</font> NDSU parking ticket program saves money

Fargo, N.D.-based North Dakota State University (NDSU) has an agreement in place with the City to process and collect fines for parking violations. As a result of this agreement, the university pays $1.39 per ticket for processing of its tickets given on campus and an additional 10 cents for each ticket the City writes.

"The University uses actual city tickets and enjoys all of the ordinances, appeals and municipal court functions that the city offers. In other words, a ticket received on campus is the same as a ticket received anywhere else in the city," says Rob Lynch, NDSU's parking and transportation manager. "The City of Fargo decided to contract out its ticket processing function a couple years ago. They now use Duncan Solutions for their processing. NDSU also now uses Duncan equipment and processing through its agreement with the city."

Lynch adds that the current parking agreement between NDSU and City/Duncan continues to provide enforcement funding at a level equal to and sometimes greater than the previous agreement between NDSU and the City.

The reason for the agreement, says Lynch, is to avoid the cost of expensive infrastructure needed to process tickets. Fargo charges NDSU 10 cents per ticket because Duncan raised its price by that amount to add the university's workload.

NDSU has seen significant increases in enrollment but a shrinking supply of parking spaces due to new construction on existing lots, says Lynch.

"To react to this situation, we have formed partnerships with other properties in the area, increased transit options and installed many uses of technology (pay stations, permit management systems, etc.) to offer additional parking options," he explains.

NDSU finances several on-campus circulators and direct express routes to its downtown campus and also has a partnership with the regional transit operator Metro Area Transit to provide free transportation anywhere in the city for all students, faculty and staff, via the U-PASS program.