On Jan. 30, 2026, Eastern Michigan University’s Department of Public Safety will take over all parking operations at EMU, formerly run by LAZ Parking.
Matthew Lige, the police chief at Eastern, will be in charge of the new “Eagle Parking” system. Lige hopes to enact positive changes in the parking system on campus.
“I have been chief here for almost five years, and there is this recurring frustration about parking … The way I see it, students are upset about three things: rates, enforcement and the parking structure," Lige said. "I am concerned about those things too, and we are trying to make things more appropriate for campus.”
On Oct. 23, 2025, the EMU Board of Regents approved a plan for the university to repurchase the parking system. In 2018, EMU entered a 35-year agreement with finance company Preston Hollow Capital. The agreement allocated rights to Provident Group-EMU Properties, with LAZ Parking managing enforcement. Provident Group and EMU have been in multi-year litigation over the 2022 closure of the parking garage on campus, with a dispute over the expected cost of repairs of the garage.
Parking rates
Students living on campus, commuters and staff members alike have been continuously frustrated with the prices of their semester parking passes.
Each semester, LAZ Parking has increased parking fees for students by $6. Alberto Derieux, a commuter student, expressed discontent with price increases.
“They increase the price of the parking pass over the summer, when nobody is here, so between school years, the price increases $12," Derieux said. "They're increasing the price of parking but not increasing the availability of parking."
The prices for parking in the current winter 2026 semester are as follows:
- Commuter: $223
- Residence Hall: $223
- 601 Apartments: $223
- Cornell Apartments: $151
- Westview Apartments: $151
When asked his thoughts and hopes about the university repurchasing parking, commuter Mason Vasques responded, “I hope they make it cheaper, because my tuition already is going up and I don't want parking to [increase] as well.”
Derieux was hopeful that the university's repurchase of the system would help ease some of the concerns students have.
“I feel good about it now that the university has control over it," Derieux said. "My hope is in the future that they will have more student-friendly pricing and use all available parking to the best of their ability."
Lige explained to The Eastern Echo that while he doesn't have an answer to those wishing for prices to decrease, he is hoping to make that possible.
“I need to do a holistic review about how our parking rates compare to our peers,” he said.
At Central Michigan University, a parking pass for a student living on campus to park for the whole year (fall, spring and summer semesters) ranges from $165-$190. Commuter annual permits are $190.
Western Michigan University has one type of parking pass available to all students. For a permit during either fall or spring semesters, students pay $150. An annual pass that covers August-August costs $300.
Lige told The Echo that parking pass rates will remain the same for the winter 2026 semester and if any changes are to be made, they will happen in the fall 2026 semester.
Parking enforcement
Lige said he feels that one of the major issues students have with the current parking system on campus is the enforcement.
“We are running a full scale re-evaluation," he said. "I want to have a more appropriate tone, tenor and tenacity."
Lige said there are plans to hire several full-time parking staff to handle customer service, purchasing permits and other community needs. He will also open parking as an on-campus job opportunity to students this fall. Job postings will be available by the end of the winter 2026 semester.
“The rate of pay for these student employees will be higher than most other student employees, because I want to have the right students on the job … We need engaged students who want to promote parking without only being focused on enforcement," Lige said. "Enforcement is certainly a part of the job, but it’s only one part of many. We want them to be ambassadors for Eagle Parking around campus and ambassadors for public safety.”
Parking availability
Primarily among students who commute to campus, the availability of places to park during peak hours has become an issue.
“I resent the current state of parking, because today I got to school 15 minutes before class, and I still ended up late for class because of parking," Derieux said. "There's a lot behind the parking structure, and if you get there at (9 a.m.) or after, you don't have a place to park, because it fills up so quickly before 9:30 classes.”
Mason Vazquez, a junior studying physical therapy, typically parks in the Science-Complex lot, behind Mark-Jefferson. Like many students, he has never seen the parking garage on campus in use after its closure.
“That parking garage has been empty for years," Vazquez said. "I've seen two people skateboarding there, and that's it." He said that if the parking structure was open, he would choose to park there every day.
The parking garage provides 784 spaces, representing more than 8% of the university’s parking system, a 2023 statement from Walter Kraft said. Kraft is the vice president of communications for EMU.
“How come I have to pay $250 to park each semester, when I walk past an empty parking structure every day?" he said. "I can't find a parking spot most days and have to walk extra far for no reason.”
The parking garage closed Sept. 25, 2022. A campus-wide email sent two days earlier said that engineering teams needed to begin an assessment of needed repairs. The decision was based in part on third-party engineering reviews that pointed to concerns about the structure's safety.
“The parking structure is the elephant in the room,” Lige said. “There are maintenance considerations we have to address, which I can’t do until we physically take it over … My goal is to provide President Kelly a comprehensive review of the maintenance issues that are there so that he can make a decision.”
Lige explained that until the lot is inspected, DPS has gated off the structure and posted signs that it is closed.
Chief Lige also plans to re-evaluate the mapping of the parking on campus.
“Campus has changed a lot. A lot of buildings have closed, and there are some new buildings. Numbers of commuters and residents has changed, but the parking lot design has really stayed the same," he said. "We are going to remap those lots. Designations might change and move, but it’s the appropriate thing to do, because the campus footprint has changed.”
Student voices
Chief Lige explained that he wants to take user opinion into consideration when making changes.
“Since I’ve been the chief here, an important aspect has been input from the students," he said. "I need to hear what your concerns are, so that I can put a plan together that’s comprehensive … I need those voices to be a part of how I guide this.”
DPS is hosting in‑person parking listening sessions to gather feedback.
“We will provide an overview of where we are and where we want to go, and then ask what works well and what doesn’t work at all,” Lige said. “I want to do it right the first time.”
Anyone interested in sharing their opinion can attend one of the following sessions.
- Feb. 4, 2026, at 5 p.m. in Downing Lounge
- Feb. 16, 2026, at 4 p.m. in Student Center Room 352
- March 10, 2026, at 5 p.m. in Phelps/Sellers
- March 23, 2026, at 4 p.m. in Student Center Room 352
Listening sessions are an open-house format, and Chief Lige will provide pizza to those in attendance.
Lige encourages students to be patient during this transition and understand that the many evaluations underway will take time, but they are working to the benefit of the students.
