This year, The University of Southern Mississippi’s parking management has added more open zone parking spaces on campus including the newly paved lots on 34th and 35th Avenue.

The Department of Parking Management oversees traffic and parking for USM’s campus including control, enforcement, maintenance and improvements of all parking areas on our campuses.

Parking zones are enforced between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m Monday through Friday. Tickets for parking in the wrong area can cost up to $25.

Green parking stripes indicate faculty/staff parking, blue parking is for handicapped only, red stripes are for fire lanes and yellow parking areas are tow-away areas/service areas. Student parking areas (commuter, resident, fraternity and sorority village) are indicated with signs. White stripes indicate open parking zones which can be used by vehicles properly registered with a current parking permit number. Year-round parking permits for the Hattiesburg campus are $162.

With so many new students on campus, parking can be a bit of a hassle.

“Try to park right after a class has started because students from the class before will be leaving and good spots will open up,” sophomore Katherine Hill said. “So if you have class at 10:00 come at 9:20-ish and get a good spot plus good study time.”