Students Stranded with Their Vehicles

181^st Lot Reneges on Student Parking Agreement Leaving Students to Find Parking on Their Own

Student car owners at YU face a new problem this year. The Twenty-Four Hour Parking Garage, located at 508 West 181 Street, recently informed the Yeshiva College Student Council that it will no longer offer YU students the discounted rates it has for the previous few years.

Only days before the beginning of the semester YCSC was informed that the parking garage was under new management. The new management has decided to discontinue the discounted rates for Yeshiva students. Management of the Kav Tav Corporation, which now owns the lot, claimed that they simply had no spaces left to accommodate Yeshiva students.

This news came as a shock to YCSC Vice President Howard Mazin, who oversees student parking. In a letter originating from his office prior to Orientation, students were informed that YCSC "has arranged for student parking at substantially reduced rates with the Twenty-Four Hour Parking Garage on 181 Street."

In previous years, students had the choice of 24-hour parking seven days a week for $570, 24-hour parking Sunday through Friday for $495, and daily vouchers for commuters for $5.00. The garage's management agreed to provide spaces for students who had already reserved a spot through YCSC but refused to accept any more students who would be paying the discounted rates. Furthermore, they boosted the price for the vouchers to $6.00, again claiming that lack of space and additional costs for the garage prompted these decisions.

Jacob Blazer, Director of Off Campus Housing and Parking, arranged a meeting with the new garage owner in an effort to assist YCSC and the many students who had been stranded without parking. According to Mr. Blazer, the new garage owner informed him that he normally charges $10.00 for daily parking and that he is unwilling to offer YU students the $5.00 rate that they previously received. Furthermore, he claimed that the garage has a monthly rate of $160 and offering student parking for $495.00 per semester would translate into a $200.00 loss per car each semester.

Blazer reminded him the new owner that he has an "ethical obligation" to honor the contract, which the garage had maintained with YU for many years. The owner responded that the contract had been made with the previous owners and he therefore had no obligation to honor it.

According to Blazer, the owner never cited lack of space as a motive to deny parking to students. The owner could not explain why he had waited so long to inform YCSC of his decision.

At the garage, the manager who would only identify himself as "Marco" explained that "we have no spaces left." It is apparent that the garage is now filled to capacity on a daily basis and cars in search of parking are often turned away. The owners of the garage could not be reached for comment.

Blazer told The Commentator that the Office of Student Affairs, and David Himber, Associate Dean of Student Services, are trying very hard to negotiate a new deal with the garage ownership. However, he was unable to predict when or if a resolution will be reached.

Howard Mazin, vice president of YCSC told The Commentator that "there is a student life meeting next week and we will definitely discuss this problem. We are looking into the situation and hopefully the problem will be resolved by next semester and students will be able to obtain a spot in the lot."

Until then students who are having difficulty with their parking situation at the lot on 181^st are being permitted to park in various YU owned lots on a case by case basis.