Council votes to change parking zone

The Bloomington City Council approved a plan Wednesday evening to divide one of the city's largest parking zones into four smaller zones. The previous Zone 4 parking -- just west of IU, encompassing the area roughly between Walnut Street and Woodlawn Avenue and 12th Street and Sixth Street -- will now be divided into Zones 4, 5, 6, and 7. \nThe zoning change was brought to the attention of the city council by members of the Old Northeast Neighborhood as a result of reported problems with parking in the area. In the older zone, IU students were able to live at the far edge of Zone 4, and then drive closer to the University, park their cars and walk to class. \nWhile this was cited as one of the main reasons for the change, it was not just the students who were abusing the former parking zone.\nJack Davis, manager of Bloomington's Parking Enforcement Division, said the new zones created out of the former zone were intended "to stop anybody driving from one end to the other, students and residents alike." \nWhile he acknowledged that it was possible for all residents in the former zone to abuse the system, the input he received from the community were mostly "concerns from neighbors living on the east side." \nMany residents of the east side of the zone, the closest part to the University, mentioned that the streets frequently were crowded with cars of students who parked and then walked to class. \nTiffany Crowe, a student who lives in the east side of the zone, said the street is always full of students' cars.\n"A lot of times people ask if they can park in our lot behind the house, and they're usually students," she said. \nEric Balton, another student who lives on the east side of the zone, said the streets next to the University are constantly full. \n"The entire road is packed, starting at 8 a.m., with lots of students," he said. \nAlthough he conceded that the roads are less crowded during the summer than the school year, he welcomed the change as an answer to the parking problem in the area. \nWith the new zoning change, residents finding themselves living in one of the four new zones may park in only one of the zones, not all four. \nMary Easton, a resident of East 11th Street since 1954, said that although the new changes should help, she doesn't really know what the answer is. She said she doesn't have problems parking in the old zone, mostly because she is one of a few residents who have private parking behind their homes. \nShe said she doesn't have a problem with the current parking zone either. \n"It's all student housing … They're all paying to park here, so what's the deal?" she said. \nEaston said she is very aware of the students' burden on parking and how an increase in students over the years has made parking more difficult. She cited an elderly neighbor who is unable to drive, and as a consequence cannot obtain a parking permit. \n"She has to call the city every time she has visitors come with their license plate numbers," Easton said. "It's just a nuisance"