UH-Manoa looking to raise fees for traffic tickets

HONOLULU (AP) — University of Hawaii-Manoa students may have to pay more for parking and traffic violations.

A proposal for the campus in Honolulu would bring fines closer to those issued by city police and state sheriffs, nearly tripling the $15 ticket for parking in a prohibited area, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported (https://bit.ly/1MDJtt8).

Fines for damage to campus signs or parking gates would quadruple to $100. Speeding would earn drivers a $97 fine instead of the current $20.

University officials say the increases are needed to fund operating expenses and needed improvements to parking infrastructure on campus. Expenses in the Commuter Services Branch exceeded revenue in fiscal year 2014.

Parking permit fees may also increase.

UH-Manoa Campus Services Director Deborah Huebler requested the increased prices in a memo to the Board of Regents last month.

“Despite efforts to maintain or reduce operating costs and despite deferring millions of dollars’ worth of repairs and maintenance, (UH-Manoa) Commuter Services can no longer maintain its self-sufficient status with its current rate structure,” she wrote.

“We’re definitely trying as much as possible not to have students bear the brunt of costs,” UH spokesman Dan Meisenzahl said the university is trying to keep students from bearing the brunt of the costs.

“This is supposed to be a self-sustaining operation, and what they have done to make ends meet, unfortunately, which has been the case for the university with the belt-tightening after the Great Recession, is defer much-needed maintenance,” he said. “The last thing we want to do is increase fees for anything, but these increases are needed.”

Two Board of Regents committees on Thursday will consider holding Huebler’s request for a public hearing on the proposed changes.