IU expects $1.9 million from parking violations

In November, a recommendation was made to the Transportation and Parking Advisory Committee to raise the price of parking tickets by $5 and to give the revenue to the IU Auditorium. Recent criticism stemming from the proposal has put pressure on the University to explain where parking ticket revenues go.\nThe parking ticket price increase was proposed to the committee by Bruce Jacobs, associate vice chancellor of administrative affairs for Residential Programs and Services. He made the proposal with hopes of bridging the $200,000 gap between what students pay for shows at the IU Auditorium (which are discounted), and the actual prices of show tickets. \nDoug Porter, parking manager of IU Parking Operations, revealed that his organization does not receive money from the state legislature or student tuition, and only earns income from four sources: parking permits, meters, garages and fines, which presently range from $20 to $200 depending on the violation. \nHe revealed that the University grossed about $2.2 million from parking tickets during the 2000-2001 fiscal year, and predicts that approximately $1.9 million will be collected at the end of the current fiscal year, which ends June 30.\nIn contrast, the City of Bloomington received $537,270 in ticket revenues during 2001, according to Mayor John Fernandez's office.\n"We hope fines will change people's parking behavior," Porter said. "Hopefully, after they get a ticket, they'll park legally to avoid getting another one. Parking tickets are not mandatory payments, they're voluntary ones."\nPorter also said the approximately $5.3 million received annually from its four income sources go toward maintaining parking garages, paying worker salaries and office expenses and renovating campus parking lots. He said $350,000 is used to cover the bond issue on the Poplars Garage on 6th St., and $500,000 is required for the bond issue on the garage at the corner of 11th St. and Fee Lane. \nParking lot renovations can also be expensive, Porter said. He explained that, for example, the cost of renovating the Memorial Stadium parking lot came to $400,000. In addition, Parking Operations must pay about $4.5 million for worker wages and office expenses. Porter explained the philosophy behind the proposal to raise ticket prices.\n"If people were content with no more parking garages or facilities, we wouldn't have to change the rate," he said. "If everybody got legal and we had no tickets to collect, we'd have to cut expenses or find other ways to earn revenues."\nHowever, IU Student Association President Jake Oakman said he disapproved of such an increase.\n"I'm concerned that we might have a slippery slope effect where if another organization like the Indiana Memorial Union needs extra money, people might say, 'Let's raise the price of parking tickets,'" he said. "Besides, ticket prices are high enough as it is."\nTPAC will likely vote on the issue within the next two months, said junior Josh Nix, a member of committee.