UPS is trying to avoid the hot seat with ASU over its on-campus driving habits.
UPS and two other companies have had ongoing problems with trucks driving on ASU's pedestrian malls without permission, said Paul Ward, vice president for University administration and general counsel.
"In the past, delivery trucks have utilized the Cady Mall sidewalk as a means to access the buildings on the mall," Ward said. "What ASU has done is prohibit these vehicles on that mall."
ASU officials announced in late October that delivery trucks would be required to park in designated areas and avoid traveling on campus malls, Ward said.
Four different lots around campus were created to provide delivery parking, Ward said. Additionally, campus loading docks are available for parking delivery trucks. What isn't allowed, though, is driving without permission on malls reserved for pedestrian use, like Cady Mall.
Ward said having trucks on the mall is a safety hazard for people who must dodge the trucks, and could even raise ASU's insurance rates.
But Ward said UPS wasn't complying with the new parking rules like its competitors, FedEx and DHL.
Ward sent a campus-wide e-mail on Nov. 22 to advise University staff to ask for their packages to be delivered directly to their destination rather than going elsewhere to pick up their packages.
UPS drivers allegedly reacted to the new parking requirements by refusing to deliver some shipments to campus, Ward said in the e-mail.
Drivers would send postcards directing the recipient of the package to go to the UPS offices to pick it up. Ward's letter also alleged that UPS placed labels on top of packages in such a way as to obscure the building and room number of the recipient.
The newly labeled packages were then placed in a UPS Store, "forcing University personnel to complete the delivery," the letter read.
UPS Tempe Center Manager Paul Casaus said he supports keeping vehicles off the malls, and met with Ward on Nov. 23 to discuss new parking arrangements. Casaus said UPS has more problems adjusting its habits because it delivers the highest load of packages.
"We carry more packages than all the other companies combined," Casaus said. "Everything that's large comes through one vehicle and we deliver 400 packages per day ... It's a substantial amount of work."
Casaus and Ward said they are planning to schedule another meeting in the next week to further decide how packages will be traveling on sidewalks.
Vehicles are forbidden from driving on campus malls without permits from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to keep pedestrians safe, said ASU police Cmdr. John Sutton.
ASU spokeswoman Terri Shafer said all drivers must take a safety course called "Driving on the Mall."
Tim Hutton, a psychology junior, said he thinks drivers are cutting corners to save money by trying to park on campus thoroughfares. Hutton works as a library aide and said he has seen some delivery permits that cost hundreds of dollars per truck.
"I don't like it when they park somewhere in the middle of a crowded sidewalk," Hutton said.
Undeclared sophomore Sarah Keller said the large UPS trucks don't leave much room for students on sidewalks as they pass by.
"Sometimes it's crowded and [trucks] take up most of the room," Keller said. "All of the students that would be walking, biking and skateboarding are smushed to the side."
Reach the reporter at nicole.saidi@asu.edu.
