By Brian Benson

The cost of a Northeastern parking decal will no longer cover daytime parking in Renaissance Garage, one of several parking policy changes implemented this semester.

According to a parking pamphlet available at the Cashier’s office and Northeastern’s parking Web site, Northeastern staff and students are no longer allowed to park in Renaissance Garage between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. Students and faculty may park there between 5 p.m. and 5 a.m., although they must swipe their Husky Cards to gain access to the garage.

Additionally, tickets from garage are no longer validated with a parking decal. Anyone who takes a ticket entering the garage will have to pay the entire fee.

University Business Manager William Mallon cited a lack of parking spaces as the reason for these changes.

“This garage doesn’t have enough capacity to provide space for Northeastern students and staff at this point due to tenant parking demands,” Mallon said in an e-mail.

Mallon recommended using alternative parking lots that accept the parking decal and are open to Northeastern staff and students between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m.

“There are plenty of spaces available in the Columbus Garage and Camden lot,” he said in the e-mail.

Ronald Willey, a chemical engineering professor, said he feels the change is a way for Northeastern to create more revenue, and said considering the cost of building and maintaining the garage, students and faculty should be able to use it.

“I read in a report recently we’re making more money on our auxiliary enterprises than we do on research,” Willey said at a faculty senate meeting last week. “So maybe this is another way Northeastern is looking to make up for its shortfalls.”

Other faculty at the meeting protested the change and particularly the lack of communication about it.

“Part of this involves process. I’m unaware of any general notification that went out,” said Robert Hall, a professor of African-American studies. “If this were federal government or state government and they were planning to have a rate increase, they would hold a public hearing.”

While the faculty was upset at the parking changes, most students said they were unaffected.

“I’ve never parked in Renaissance,” said John Chow, a sophomore business major who usually parks in Columbus Garage or West Village Garage.

Chow also said he has never had trouble finding a parking spot because he arrives early.

“I get here by 7:30 in the morning, so there’s always a spot,” he said.

Others, like Pok-Ching Lee, a senior computer science major, choose a more adventurous way to park.

“I always park on the street.