Daily parking fees at Sonoma State University doubling

Daily parking fees at Sonoma State University are doubling, the university announced Thursday.

The fee for a day parking permit is rising from $2.50 to $5. The fee for reserved parking is climbing from $5 to $8 a day.

The change affects only daily fees, not semester-long parking permits. But parking enforcement is being expanded to nights and weekends, with permits now required on campus 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"I don't see a lot of students really being drastically impacted, because most students who park on campus daily purchase a semester parking pass," said Anthony Gallino, executive vice president of the student government body, Associated Students.

Students whose classes are held on weekends or only a day or two a week, or who attend only night classes, may incur additional expense. Discussions are being held about whether those students can be accommodated, Gallino said.

The change was approved by a committee that included student representatives, he said. It was to ensure that students who were paying for parking weren't subsidizing students and others who weren't paying the fees.

University officials did not return calls or emails seeking comment.