Many students who stay up-to-date with their student email are already aware of the changes to campus parking, specifically regarding its payment, on the horizon for the winter 2025 term. For those of you who do not, it was announced that effective Jan. 20, the purchase of visitor parking passes or daily parking passes will transition from the “old-school” method of paying for parking at the machine to mobile payment of parking through the AMP mobile app or /website. 

To gain more insight into the main reason or driving purpose behind this widespread change, Imprint sat down with Samantha Murray, change management advisor at UW and the interim associate director for the UW Sustainable Transportation office, playing a pivotal role during this transition. She shared that the main goal within the Sustainable Transportation office is to ensure “that sustainable transportation initiatives stay aligned with traditional goals while also navigating the bureaucratic landscape.” 

Murray has a rich history here at UW. She began as a student and has since then expanded her duties and gained experience in various student-facing roles. Notably, Murray played a major role in the institutional shift to Microsoft 365 and the additional security measures now associated with accessing WatIAM accounts, such as two-factor authentication.  

Imprint asked about the specifics of the sustainable transportation plan rolled out in May 2024, and whether it played a role in the organization’s decision to transition to sole virtual payment through the AMP app. Murray shared that “the sustainable transportation plan is largely still in its infancy,” putting an emphasis on receiving feedback from members of the UW community as far as travelling, not only to and from campus, but around campus. “With this plan being in its infancy, the next moves to be made are all contingent on the data we collect, the more legit and representative data we collect, the more well-informed decisions we can make,” Murray said.

This is not the first time AMP has been used on the UW campus. In past terms, some parking lots on campus were only able to be reserved through AMP. “The UW community is already at least somewhat familiar with the use of AMP, combining this with the overall positive feedback we received from members of the UW community, it seemed like an obvious decision for our transition to mobile payment to be conducted through AMP,” Murray said.  

 The transition to the AMP app has “been in the works for a while now,” Murray said, but did not provide a specific timeline. 

When asked about the purpose of the transition to pure mobile payment, Murray said, “The use of AMP aligns with our overarching goal of sustainable transportation, it shows our commitment to leveraging technology to limit our campus carbon footprint.” Murray added that the app  “streamlines the payment experience, improving user experience, especially for those who tend to run late.” App users can pay directly through the app, park, and get going without waiting in line for the payment machine or walking back and forth to drop off a pass at their car. 

With this payment being mobile, the Sustainable Transportation was asked how they plan to accommodate those who do not have access to mobile devices. Murray shared that in this case, there are two options available. “AMP has a website where users can register their car, pick their desired parking lot, and their desired times, insert a payment method and they are good to go,” Murray shared. Alternatively, if internet access is a barrier, Murray said that anyone is welcome to come to the Sustainable Transportation office where they can purchase a parking pass. 

This raises the question of how does this affect fees or the tracking of individuals’ parking status? Murray shared, “AMP is integrated with the software that Sustainable Transportation currently uses, through this, our parking officers will be able to run licence plates and ensure that individuals have paid the correct amount and are in the correct lot if they are not, a ticket will be issued.”. When asked if she had expectations or worries regarding the AMP technology, she declined to comment. 

As of spring 2024, parking rates across campus were raised – for instance, termly parking fees increased to $235.61 from $169.50, and hourly parking rates increased to $3 from $2. When asked about this, Murray insisted that this change was much needed and a long time coming. “The last time fees were raised at the UW was over 12 years ago; it was time for a much-needed change. Even with this raise in price, we are still on the lower end for campus parking as compared to other universities.” For comparison, the Wilfrid Laurier University day pass costs $12, the University of Guelph day pass ranges from $7–$21 depending on the lot, while the University of Toronto day pass can range between $16-$25 depending on the zone. UW day passes range between $5-$21, with the price varying between each lot.

In some cases, parking passes are sold out and many students are forced to pay for visitor parking daily or park elsewhere. “This is an issue that we are well aware of, but the reality is only a finite amount of parking is available on campus, the number of student parking permits available for sale are adjusted to match the availability of parking spots,” Murray said. “Historically we use the data collected to predict parking needs.” She said that the sustainable transportation team is in the process of improving this issue, “but can not provide a guaranteed or quick solution.” In further carrying on the conversation on the lack of parking pass accommodations available, Murray said that “all the fines and fees we collect for infractions go directly back to the student body in the form of bursaries.” 

Users can download the AMP app on the Google Play Store, the Apple App Store, or register online. As of Jan. 20, the following visitor lots will be paid for solely through the AMP app: Physical Activities Centre (PAC), Student Life Centre (SLC); Lots B, C, CLV, J, M, N, Q, S, UWP, T, V, W, and X; Davis Centre/General Services Complex; Health Services; South Campus Hall; Toby Jenkins building; Village 1 lots; School of Pharmacy; and University Club.