Parking tags at Texas A&M are a thing of the past.
Saturday begins parking with the use of license plate readers.
Texas A&M transportation services executive director Debbie (Hoffmann) Lollar says virtual parking has been used on the A&M system’s RELLIS campus since it opened.
Adding the technology at the flagship campus provides customers more options.
In addition to parking in assigned spaces, customers can park at selected locations at night.
Students can link one plate to their permit and employees can link up to three. All customers can go online and change the plate assigned to their account anytime.
It is the customer’s responsibility to ensure the vehicle they park is registered.
Click below for comments from Debbie (Hoffmann) Lollar, visiting with WTAW News intern Meg Carter:
News release from Texas A&M:
When Texas A&M University parking permits expire on Friday, drivers will not be hanging a new tag on their rearview mirrors. Instead, their license plates will serve as permits.
Using license plate recognition technology, Texas A&M Transportation Services can easily confirm license plates students, faculty and staff have linked to their permits. This allows for the elimination of hang tag permits.
“We are excited to provide a new level of convenience and flexibility to our customers with the implementation of virtual permits,” said Peter Lange, associate vice president of Transportation Services. “We have one of the most complex parking systems in the country and we have been adopting and adapting license plate recognition technology for several years. We recognize change is hard and we are working to make sure this rollout is as smooth as possible for our campus community.”
Customers must ensure their plates are updated in their parking accounts. Log in, click on “Update Plate” and follow the instructions. Then, simply park in your assigned area with your license plate facing the drive aisle. Customers can update their plate at any time, any day.
Students may link one plate to their permit and employees may link up to three.
“Virtual permits provide customers real-time flexibility to add or correct license plates via smart device or through their parking account,” said Tad Fifer, Transportation Services’ web and information designer.
“Customers no longer have to worry about forgetting, losing or improperly displaying their permits – and permits won’t get lost in the mail,” he said. “The new system furthers our commitment to sustainability, eliminating the need for envelopes, stamps and plastic permits.”
Fifer noted that customers must ensure the vehicle they park on campus is linked.
“It is important for customers to link the plate for any vehicle they are parking on campus – whether it’s their personal vehicle, their friend’s vehicle or a rental car,” he said. “Customers must ask themselves, ‘What vehicle did I drive today? Is that license plate linked to my permit?'”
Visit transport.tamu.edu for more information.