VSU Parking and Transportation will transition from physical permits to virtual permits through a vehicle license plate.

Anthony Bryant, assistant director of Parking and Transportation, said that virtual permits make management easier for both permit holders and parking management.

“Virtual permits increase flexibility for permit holders, increase safety, are more sustainable by removing waste created by using physical permits and increase efficiencies in parking management,” he said.

This new system uses a License Plate Recognition (LPR) system that provides a benefit that couldn’t do be done with physical permits in the past.

“One major benefit is the ability to register up to three vehicles per account without the need to transfer the physical permit from one vehicle to the other,” Bryant said. “Only one vehicle per account can be parked on campus at a time.”

According to an email sent by Parking and Transportation on June 7, during the summer semester the LPR system has been a testing phase.

“The system has been a success,” Bryant said. “It has the capability to read registered license plates and also to verify if the vehicles are parked in their assigned locations.”

Along with the success of this new system, Parking and Transportation expects to better manage parking across campus.

“We expect to manage campus parking more efficiently with this new system,” Bryant said. “It helps to keep accurate records of all vehicles in our parking lots.”

Bryant said the best way to avoid a citation when using the LPR system is to make sure the vehicle is pulled into the parking space correctly where the license plate is visible from the drive lane.

In order to ensure a smooth transition to virtual permits, Bryant said permit holders need to be aware of when physical permits will expire.

“Purchase a virtual permit before the expiration date, which is Sept. 15 and adhere to parking policies listed on www.vsuparking.com,” he said.

Written by Isabella Schneider, Copy Editor. Photo courtesy of Sarahi Montero, special to the Spectator