Parking is certainly something that crosses all students’ minds prior to bringing their car onto Pitt’s campus. Most students without cars on Pitt’s campus have likely heard all about unreliable permit spaces, filled lots and high ticketing rates from their vehicle-wielding friends.
Drivers and nondrivers alike can agree that Oakland’s housing and parking issues are cut from the same cloth, with the overarching issue being that there are few, if any, initiatives to address either problem.
Parking comes at a premium in Oakland, and data from the Pittsburgh Parking Authority reflects that. In 2023 alone, parking court revenue sharing — the allocation of funds generated via parking fines — accounted for nearly a third of the Pittsburgh Parking Authority’s $23.4 million expense to the City of Pittsburgh. In November 2024, parking court revenues were at $883,000 for the month, whereas in November 2023, they sat at $839,000. While this data is by no means a negative reflection on the PPA — the organization’s employees are simply doing their jobs by ticketing illegally parked cars — it certainly highlights just how many drivers are forced to park in illegal spaces.
Perhaps better parking begins with better housing — until Oakland rent prices become more affordable for the average student, many are faced with no option but to live farther away from campus and commute to school each day. This, coupled with the fact that there are no grocery stores close to campus, likely contribute to many feeling as though bringing their car on campus is worth it. While this lack of housing and distance from grocery stores can easily be the case for any urban setting — and often is — the absence of a plan to remedy this issue is what contributes to many’s frustrations.
With no tangible policies being made to make parking more accessible — such as the construction of lots or protection of permit spaces — parking continues to play a significant role in Pitt students’ daily and financial worries. As a result, they find themselves caught in a daily cycle of searching for parking, parking illegally as a result of not being able to find any, and then having to pay the price for doing so. As calls for action continue to go unanswered, many’s frustrations with Oakland’s parking situation in general continue to increase.