Avoid UNT and TWU Parking Nightmares
Searching far and wide for a parking spot on a college campus is a problem for college students every year. College classes are about to start back up for around 700,000 students in Texas. For students at Texas Woman’s University (TWU) the University of North Texas (UNT) this issue can be frustrating from a cost standpoint and the availability of a place to park. Students have one of three options in parking for class.
The first option: students can park for free on the street, miles away from class, and walk. Depending on how far away you have to park, you might be late for class. When parking on the street there is less monitoring for theft. There is a better chance of someone breaking into your car. Plus, this option assumes that there is even parking available on the street. During the busiest times of the day, there may not even be a spot available.
The second option: buy an on campus parking pass. This usually means that there is some surveillance to reduce the risk of theft. But parking passes are expensive even for students. At TWU a parking pass will cost $70 per year, but parking is severely limited at TWU. A UNT parking pass will run anywhere from $125-$1,200 per year depending on how close you want to get to your classroom. UT-Austin and Texas Tech both cost a couple hundred dollars per year. So for a four-year degree, you’ll spend upwards of $4,000 on parking alone! And then books, tuition, and food have to be paid! Oh, and gas, let’s not forget gasoline. The average price right now being $2 per gallon, and running you $100 per year if you fill up 50 times a year (which is average).
So what other option might there be? What about a bicycle? Nearly every university has bicycle parking for free. Why waste that money on a parking spot that does not get you close at all? Park directly outside of your class, instead of miles away!
At the Denton Bicycle Center, we can get you set up with a brand new bike, or repair one that you already have. Not to say you get rid of your car, just make the daily commute a little more simple. We now have a Mean Green-colored 2017 Trek FX 2s in stock. Come get yourself a bicycle. Save the parking pass cost, and get a workout every day as you travel to class. And as an added bonus you will be helping the environment.
Average Texas gas price $2 (http://www.texasgasprices.com/Prices_Nationally.aspx)
Texas Tech costs $139-$670 for a 9 month pass, depending on location. (http://www.parking.ttu.edu/campus-parking-resources/fees-and-fines)
UT Austin costs $133-$780 for a year, depending on location (https://parking.utexas.edu/parking/student/)
UNT costs $125-$1,200 for a year depending on how close you want to be to class and if you want a reserved spot or not. (http://transportation.unt.edu/permitRates.html)
TWU parking costs students $70 for a year, but with very limited parking (http://www.twu.edu/dps/parking_rules.asp)
