FSU negotiates downtown parking deal for students

FSU President Siddharth Singh negotiated directly with the Farhi Corporation to secure discounted monthly parking downtown for Fanshawe students.
Fanshawe students looking for parking downtown are now getting a better deal on parking—a new monthly pass at Farhi-owned lots in the area will now cost $105 plus tax. The new parking rate is available to all students at Fanshawe College, not just those who are registered in classes at the downtown campus.
While the Fanshawe Student Union (FSU) has long provided students with a discounted bus pass, not everyone lives on a bus route, or even within the boundaries of London. Fanshawe’s Oxford St. Campus offers ample parking, for a fee, and the South Campus actually offers free parking, but students attending campus downtown have had to pay their own way, parking in municipal or privately-owned lots in the city’s core.
“We have been receiving feedback from students regarding parking challenges in the downtown area for quite some time,” said FSU President Siddharth Singh. “Notably, one of our coordinators, who is affiliated with the downtown campus, has consistently faced difficulties in securing parking.”
The FSU conducted a survey of students affiliated with the downtown campus, and Singh said 78 per cent of respondents wanted a monthly parking pass at a discounted rate, particularly for students experiencing financial hardships. In the same survey, 98 per cent said it was important to them to have accessible parking close to the campus.
“FSU and Farhi Corporation initiated discussions, given the proximity of their parking lots to the Fanshawe downtown campus, which led to our negotiation process,” said Singh.
The FSU negotiated directly with the company. Singh said that the initial price they were settling on was actually higher, at $115 (plus tax) per month, but they were able to negotiate an even lower price of $105, which Singh has called a “very favourable rate.”
Here’s how that cost compares to what students pay at the Oxford St. Campus:
Students who live out-of-town, or off the London Transit Commission (LTC) bus routes, can purchase a reserved parking pass for $192 per term (which averages out to $48 per month). For everyone else, there are the general lots. These cost $5.25 per entry, meaning if a student has to drive somewhere during the day, they would need to pay the fee again upon their return. But, assuming that a student only enters the lot once per day, Monday to Friday, their total parking costs would have been $105 for the month of January—equal to the new deal for downtown parking before tax.
According to Singh, the question of whether or not parking at Fanshawe is too expensive across the board is one that the college will be considering in the future.
“It is noteworthy that the college has included parking considerations in its campus development plan,” he said. “At present, we recognize that parking remains an issue at the main campus…the college has plans to address these parking concerns in its development strategy.”