Originally published on September 1, 2024
My dad sold his white Toyota Corolla—Sports edition, of course—to me when I first moved to Edmonton to attend MacEwan because I was unable to afford a vehicle. A nice gesture. He told me that if you take care of your car, your car will take care of you. I won’t lie; I have misused my car at times, but I’ve made sure to keep my car safe. One such way is to park my car somewhere close when I’m on campus.
Edmonton is a city where driving is almost a necessity. While Toronto, the most populated city in Canada, covers an area of 630 square kilometres, Edmonton is larger at 783 square kilometres. It’s therefore no surprise that downtown Edmonton is filled with parking lots. In the last year, for instance, the City of Edmonton found that 90 per cent of parking lots were operating illegally.
Parkmaxxing at MacEwan
MacEwan University offers several parking spaces for students—both underground and surface lots. Winters in Edmonton can be rough on vehicles, so the logical option is to park in a powered, underground lot. However, monthly parking permits here are pretty pricey, at about $245 per month. Overall, purchasing monthly permits is much cheaper than paying for parking on a daily basis. For example, if you park from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, you’ll run up a $20 tab. If you are attending classes five days a week, you will pay $100; in a month’s time, you’ll pay around $400. However, the downside for students is that parking permits for underground lots are difficult to obtain and the current waiting list is long. At the time of writing this article, I am 360th in the waiting line to purchase a parking permit at the 110 St. Parkade.
Surface lots, while not powered, are considerably cheaper. MacEwan employs a third party called HONK to manage its parking services. On its website, HONK boasts a contactless system that provides a streamlined process for users and lot owners. Rather than purchasing a physical ticket at a kiosk or machine, HONK users input their vehicle information and parking ID into their system and make a purchase on their website or app via credit card. On average, students will be paying $13, along with a 35-cent “user fee,” for 12 hours of parking. If we calculate a month’s worth of parking, students will pay around $260. While monthly passes are not available for surface lots, MacEwan allows individuals to purchase either a “5-pass” for $40 or a “10-pass” for $80. Talk about savings!
Oops! Almost forgot this was an opinion piece, comrade
Paid parking exemplifies the principle of supply and demand economics and the notion of commodification that underlies the spirit of capitalism. On top of high tuition fees, in 2022/2023, students enrolled in undergraduate programs in Alberta paid higher additional compulsory fees on average than the rest of Canada, so I suppose it makes sense to ask students to pay for parking out of pocket.
Usama, a professional communications student, says the concept of paying for parking is absurd and sucks as a student. “You’re between a rock and a hard place.”
As the school year begins, parking spaces will be a hot commodity. Some may take on the challenge to find free parking in the residential areas north of MacEwan, while others, like myself, will simply sigh, thank the system, and pay for parking.
Photo taken by Amanda Erickson
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