Transportation services has decided to move all customers from lots 88, 50 and 43 to the "Aggie RV Park" which is a gravel parking lot. For those of you in lot 100e (Reed), you are being moved to some new lot on the other side of George Bush. I called to ask about this and it seems they want to reserve the paved lots for single cars. It seems to me to make more sense to put the RVs in the paved lots and the single cars in the gravel lots.

Regardless, they told me to email Lynn Wiggs to document any complaints I had so I have done so. Now I would ask that the rest of you who have complaints about this change do the same. Her email is l-wiggs@tamu.edu

Here is the email from PTTS:

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Howdy,

As you are aware Texas A&M University is a continually expanding institution. Increased seating capacity at Kyle Field has placed growing pressure on existing close-in campus parking. While at the same time, planned campus construction will reduce our ability to offer enough car parking spaces. To provide more full service RV spaces, we are constructing a new RV lot: Lot 58. It will be located on the west side of Penberthy Boulevard between George Bush Drive and Luther Street. This new lot is scheduled to open fall 2016 and have a total of 95 RV spaces with full electrical, water and sewer hook ups. After several brainstorming sessions and input from the RV Gameday Advisory Committee, we have developed a plan to consolidate our existing RV spaces to efficiently provide the parking that is needed on football game days.

Lot 100e season permit holders will be given first priority to move to Lot 58, according to seniority by the number of seasons each has been an RV customer in our parks. If any Lot 58 RV spaces remain unfilled, Olsen and Penberthy season permit holders will be given the next opportunity to move, according to their seniority.

It has been the goal of Transportation Services to have one location in which all RV permit holders could tailgate together while enjoying the benefits of being near friends and relatives. We have long heard the need for larger RV spaces, earlier arrival times, increased guest access and parking, earlier shuttle service to Kyle Field, and friendlier biking, walking and playing areas close by. We believe this fall will be the greatest opportunity to take a step towards this dream and consolidate Lots 43, 50 and 88.

Aggie RV Park (formerly RV Field) is a large, hard surface lot (crushed concrete with engineered drainage), located on the west side of Research Parkway near the George Bush Presidential Library, that will allow us to meet these goals. The lot contains over 200 large RV spaces (the largest on campus at 50x30 feet) with enough room for a tow vehicle within the RV space. It has a controlled entry point with access as early as Friday morning at 8 or 9 a.m. There may even be a possible option for Thursday night reservations. Guest parking is available next door at Lot 43 with additional parking in Lot 118 on game day, thus reducing vehicle traffic within the RV lot. Entry into RV Field is made easier due to its large entrance area, less congested access road and expanded arrival time. Access to the earliest running game day shuttle is conveniently located nearby. Large grassy areas are located on three sides of the lot and the pedestrian paths, lakes and Frisbee golf course of Rese
arch Park are just to the north. Best of all, there will be an opportunity to request group parking so you can be located near friends, if desired. There is also the possibility to store your RV between the UTSA and the LSU games this fall.

If you are a season ticket holder who requested parking on your renewal, you may modify that parking request to include the option to select RV parking in Lot R or Lot 126. To make this request, email elizabeth@12thmanfoundation.com by 5 p.m. TODAY, Wednesday, April 13.

On April 20, we will send out a survey to all RV season space holders in lots 43, 50, 88 and 100e asking for RV space preferences. This information is essential in determining space assignments for fall 2016. The survey will close May 11.

Important dates for renewing your 2016 RV parking assignment are below:
? 4/20 Survey opens for space preferences.
? 5/3 RV payments begin. (Log into My Account to pay for your permit.)

Note: Lot 100e permit holders who would prefer Aggie RV Park to Lot 58 should email Lynn at l-wiggs@tamu.edubefore completing payment.

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Sounds good to me - just missed the Lot E parking by a day. With this expansion of single cars I might get my old spot back!

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I can see it. From a strict efficiency perspective, you get about 8 cars for each RV spot. That's 8 families that can now walk to the game w/o needing to be bused from the gravel lots. You can move the RVers farther away, give them more room, and run a shuttle/bus for 1/8 as many people as if the RVs were at Reed. That being said, the RVers should see a drastic reduction in their lot prices since they're no longer taking up prime real estate, but I do think the move is good for efficiency.

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Other than Reed, the other 3 RV lots being moved to the gravel lot require bussing. I never once walked to the game from Lot 88. And the folks being displaced from reed are being put in a paved lot with full hookups so I may not feel too sorry for them.

cliff notes

I think we all know that this was a 12th Man land grab.

For what it's worth, RV spots take either 4 or 6 car spots. Not eight.

As far as the rationale regarding shuttles, have you been to 100e on game day? We easily have more folks in that lot than if people were just car parking. Now those folks will be taking the shuttle...

Again, this was a land grab, not a logistics solution.

Missing quite a bit in this response.

We have tailgated in Reed RV lot for past 8 years. We have neighbors that we tailgate with and usually have 100+ people at our two RV spots before the game. So your efficiency argument is off base as they need shuttled now too.

Made it much harder for people to come to our tailgate before and after games as well.

My cost per game has doubled over past 5 years and potentially going from Reed lot to gravel lot by Research park for same price.

I understand the demand issue. Frustrating that this may be the end of our tailgates for lots of other complications this situation is causing.

The amazing thing to me is that there is no long term plan in place to account for increase in tailgating and RVs in town for game. It's just seems they wing it every year to adjust making it very difficult for everyone.

Yep. Lot 100e was $160 per game weekend. The new Lot 58 we are being forced to move into will be $215 per game this year, and $230 in 2017.
Although there will be full hookups, so we got that going for us.

To summarize:

The 12th Man RV lots remain the same. Lot R and Equine. The transportation department does not run these lots, but you need mucho priority points to park there.

Olson RV lot and Penberthy do not move. Unless there is availability in the new full hook up lot and they choose to move.

Reed RV lot is moving to the new Lot 58 based on longevity.

Agronomy, Zachary and Bush Library RVers are all displaced to the "Aggie RV Park" along with any Reed RVers who don't make it into the new full hook up lot.

This is going to create a busing problem. The RV lots have more people tailgating than the car lots. Now they will all be consolidated in a 200 space field.

The bush library route already has the longest lines after the game. This will make those lines much longer.

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To summarize:

The 12th Man RV lots remain the same. Lot R and Equine. The transportation department does not run these lots, but you need mucho priority points to park there.

Olson RV lot and Penberthy do not move. Unless there is availability in the new full hook up lot and they choose to move.

Reed RV lot is moving to the new Lot 58 based on longevity.

Agronomy, Zachary and Bush Library RVers are all displaced to the "Aggie RV Park" along with any Reed RVers who don't make it into the new full hook up lot.

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I thought the equine lot was a TS lot historically?

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The sense of entitlement that many RVers have is perplexing.

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So you think it's cool for A&M to drastically reduce the value of their product, by A&Ms choice, and charge the same or more money to customers who have been utilizing these services for years? Throw in that A&M chooses to claim this is a move in the direction of everyone's "dream" instead of being upfront and honest about the situation?

Yep, we are entitled to spend thousands a year to tailgate Aggie Football.

Let me guess, you are entitled to show up and someones tailgate and drink their beer and eat their food...

Not sure you understand entitlement...

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The sense of entitlement that many RVers have is perplexing.

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So you think it's cool for A&M to drastically reduce the value of their product, by A&Ms choice, and charge the same or more money to customers who have been utilizing these services for years? Throw in that A&M chooses to claim this is a move in the direction of everyone's "dream" instead of being upfront and honest about the situation?

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I don't know if it's "cool," as you say.

But I know that at the end of the day, RVs are wholly unnecessary to operating a football game. Accordingly, any accommodation that is made for an RVer to take up precious space on campus on a game weekend is a privilege, and certainly not a right.

Now, if you entered into some sort of long-term (multi-year) agreement with the university or the 12th Man Foundation that guarantees you to park your RV in a particular location for a particular price, then you might a reasonable complaint.

Do you have a contract like that? If not, you are entitled to nothing.

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The sense of entitlement that many RVers have is perplexing.

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So you think it's cool for A&M to drastically reduce the value of their product, by A&Ms choice, and charge the same or more money to customers who have been utilizing these services for years? Throw in that A&M chooses to claim this is a move in the direction of everyone's "dream" instead of being upfront and honest about the situation?

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I don't know if it's "cool," as you say.

But I know that at the end of the day, RVs are wholly unnecessary to operating a football game. Accordingly, any accommodation that is made for an RVer to take up precious space on campus on a game weekend is a privilege, and certainly not a right.

Now, if you entered into some sort of long-term (multi-year) agreement with the university or the 12th Man Foundation that guarantees you to park your RV in a particular location for a particular price, then you might a reasonable complaint.

Do you have a contract like that? If not, you are entitled to nothing.

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I am entitled to voice my opinion. I suppose I am entitled to protest either in person on campus or in a virtual forum such as texags or via email. Like any other business and customer relationship.

I'm not at all saying you can't complain. I'm just saying your complaint, in this case, will probably not garner much sympathy.

You, and a few others, are whining about the RV lot changes as if you are entitled to the status quo.

Again, I understand that the changes will cause you some inconvenience. But it shouldn't be a surprise to you when you're relying on property you don't own or lease to park your RV.

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I'm not at all saying you can't complain. I'm just saying your complaint, in this case, will probably not garner much sympathy.

You, and a few others, are whining about the RV lot changes as if you are entitled to the status quo.

Again, I understand that the changes will cause you some inconvenience. But it shouldn't be a surprise to you when you're relying on property you don't own or lease to park your RV.

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If we were rving next door to the stadium, I would agree with you. Other than lot 100e, we were all rving a mile away from the stadium and we were paying more per parking space utilized than those parking next door to the stadium. Most of us have been doing so for some time. Moving people from lot 88, 50 and 43 out to a gravel field that is a similar distance to the stadium seems very unnecessary. I am not disputing their right to make the change, but it is another example of poor customer service.

And I do view businesses that utilize liyalty programs as having a bit more responsibility for taking care of their loyal customers than businesses who do not utilize loyalty programs.

Is there still a waiting list for RV parking permits on game weekends?

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Is there still a waiting list for RV parking permits on game weekends?

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Once they built the RV field lot I believe the waiting list was no longer necessary. There is a waiting list for certain lots such as Penberthy and historically lot 100e

At any rate, I'm sorry that you're having to go through the experience. As a non-RVer, I admit I don't fully appreciate the circumstances.

I hope everything works out for you and yours to be there to help the Ags BTHO UCLA.

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Oh look at me I have a 200,000 dollar house on wheels

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Bernie voter, huh? We didn't get to this point in life overnight. And, you might want to double that number for some.

The funny thing to me about some of the comments telling us RVer's to just deal with it is that our main concern is actually for our guests who park elsewhere, not us. We will be harder to get to as we are farther off the beaten path.

Either way, we will adapt and overcome. The party's not over, it's just moving lots!!

I find it humorous when the amount of money A&M will get by displacing RVs to the Field. I know it cost me $1260 for 6 car spaces for the season last year in Lot 50 whereas the $100 per season car spots for cars in 2015 (and even $150 per season in 2016) still does not come close to what we were paying for RV spaces. I have watched for many years how A&M screws with a good thing across the board for RVs.

And by the way, there are like 500-600 RV spaces across A&M (both PTS and 12th Man) for game weekends so it's not a small number of people.

One more thing...I love how the "RV Advisory Committee" made these changes under the cloak of secrecy which explains why they delayed sending out the information until mid-April. The more I think about it, the more these jokers need to be replaced at all levels.

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The funny thing to me about some of the comments telling us RVer's to just deal with it is that our main concern is actually for our guests who park elsewhere, not us. We will be harder to get to as we are farther off the beaten path.

Either way, we will adapt and overcome. The party's not over, it's just moving lots!!

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This guy gets it!!

Non-RVers have no idea what goes into hosting the tailgate for their guests. Let me give you a glimpse:

Buy travel trailer/RV
Maintain said RV year round (there's a lot to it)
Pay to store RV in Bryan because it's better than the gas from DFW (in our case)
Pay to rent generators and fuel for the weekend
Haul trailer to/from the games, from your storage spot in Bryan, from your storage spit in DFW
Have all the utinsles, plates, conveniences for tailgates that most show up only a few hours before the game
Provide food for guests (although most guests do contribute)
Pay insurance and new Texas inspection fees on trailer every year
Be the toilet for your female friends who refuse to use the porta potties- and dump their poop later for them
Be the changing room/napping area for your friends who have babies and little kiddos
And do ALL of this so you can enjoy the Aggieland GAMEDAY experience with your 2 year old and new born as we did because we weren't in driving distance from DFW with little kiddos and too RED ASS to give up our games because of little babies!

What were you saying about selfish RV owners?

Something just doesn't sit right with me on this change. For A&M to create a new parking lot like this, they would have had to been planning this for quite some time. How convenient that they announce this change AFTER we renew our season tickets. I think we have been mislead.

Yep, this kind of crap and HD TV is nudging me closer and closer to throwing the towel in after almost 60 years.

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One more thing...I love how the "RV Advisory Committee" made these changes under the cloak of secrecy which explains why they delayed sending out the information until mid-April. The more I think about it, the more these jokers need to be replaced at all levels.

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I doubt that this committee "make these changes". They may have been involved in some of the early discussions but Parking&Transportation and 12th Man made these changes.

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One more thing...I love how the "RV Advisory Committee" made these changes under the cloak of secrecy which explains why they delayed sending out the information until mid-April. The more I think about it, the more these jokers need to be replaced at all levels.

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I doubt that this committee "make these changes". They may have been involved in some of the early discussions but Parking&Transportation and 12th Man made these changes.

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A poster on premium is part of the committee. They said this plan is almost identical to the plan proposed to the committee. Basically A&M did not listen to whatever feedback was given...

Not a bad idea:

Move all RVs from Reed to open up more preferred parking for the 12th Man Foundation. Move most of those RVs a short distance to a full hookup lot.

Very bad idea:

Move all remaining RVs on campus to open up cash only parking over a mile from the stadium. Move all those RVs to a field the farthest from the stadium of any lot.