As students struggled to find parking spots during the construction of Parking Structure III last semester, University Transportation and Parking Services officials were kept busy. The fall 2006 student enrollment was 28,529 and, according to UTAPS, there were more than 15,400 parking citations handed out.

Of the 15,400 citations issued last semester, there were 3,704 appeals submitted, more than half of which, 2,009, were dismissed, according to UTAPS.

“There are certain trends that we keep seeing in the Appeals Department,” said Freddy Orozco, an appeals citation coordinator for UTAPS.

A common violation that students commit is called “No valid permit in view,” Orozco said.

This semester, however, the addition of nearly 4,000 parking spaces is expected to alleviate much of the parking hurdles and violations, Orozco said.

Orozco said the UTAPS parking brochure is helpful in not only telling drivers where not to park, but it also sheds some light on little-known offenses such as violation 4A.1, described as parking over the line. That offense is $22, while double-parking is the same rate, according to UTAPS.

Graphic design major Martin Helms is aware of that rule. “I don’t take any chances,” said Helms, who said he is careful when he parks.

Senior business administration major Jason Pollock, a new transfer to Sacramento State, said the system is fair. “(But) it has to be difficult to manage,” he said. “At San Diego State, the parking permits were stickers. We didn’t like having to stick them on our cars.” Pollock said this avoided the problem of the common violation of not having a permit in view.

When a student who forgets to put the parking permit in view and is cited for “No valid permit in view” (3A.1 violation), the Appeals department “will dismiss the citation twice during a 12-month calendar year,” Orozco stated in an e-mail.

“This is a courtesy that we extend . . . sometimes people forget to display their parking permit,” Orozco said.

There are three levels in the appeals process: The Administrative Review, The Appeals Hearing and Judicial Appeal. At the conclusion of each level, the student’s violation can be dismissed. The initial appeal can be filed online.

Ryan Miller can be reached at [email protected]