Convenience parking, a service in Parking Structure I that lets students park in reserved spots for $3 a day with a permit, will be evaluated for its usefulness at the end of the semester.

Convenience parking will likely be offered again next semester, agreed officials from both University Transportation and Parking Services and Neumann Enterprises, the private company running the service.

It was created in January after students said they needed faster, easier parking on campus.

UTAPS will meet with Neumann Enterprisesand decide if the service should be offered again in the spring, and if so, whether or not changes should be made, UTAPS Assistant Director Freddy Orozco said in an e-mail.

“I think the service has been a huge success,” Orozco said.

Danial Martin, an employee of NeumannEnterprises, said that on a busy day, he might have 30 to 50 people using his service.

On Dec. 3, a slow day, Martin had 19 customers. He said he has only had three regular valet parking customers this semester.

Graduate student Ana Lucia said she only pays for convenience parking when she can’t find any other parking. She said the service should stay because it’s useful.

Junior business major Eric Buechler said he doesn’t use the service because he never has trouble finding a spot, but thinks for some people it could be worthwhile to keep around.

“Three bucks is not that bad,” he said. ” If I had trouble getting to class on time, it might be worth it.”

Junior journalism major Tom Ball disagreed. He said it makes no sense to use the service because students have to purchase a normal permit on top of the extra $3 fee.

“It seems like people are paying enough money for parking as it is,” Ball said. “Paying an extra three dollars for something you should be getting already seems ridiculous.”

The contract between Neumann Enterprises and UTAPS was for a two-semester trial period, and never cost the school a cent, said owner John Neumann. That trial period ends in a few weeks.

Neumann said that if the service continues, the contract will be open for bidding from other companies.

“It’s been well-received…I think it will be an ongoing deal,” Neumann said in a phone interview.

He said he hopes to enter the bidding if it opens.

UTAPS has been hiring Neumann Enterprises for various jobs for two years now, from directing traffic for the first two weeks of every semester, to providing valet parking during the annual Green and Gold Gala, Neumann said.

The service started last spring in Parking Structure III, where it may not have been very visible or close to the center of campus, Martin said. This fall convenienceparking was moved to Structure I, where it has been more successful.

Martin thinks this may be because it is closer to the center of campus.

“Moving convenience parking from Parking Structure III to Parking Structure I proved to be a wise decision with significantly more users during Fall 2007 than in Spring 2007,” Orozco said.

Lacey Waymire can be reached at [email protected].