Is the parking problem solved?

Students returning to campus this fall will recognize some changes in the parking situation. From now on, the Student Recreational Sports Center parking lot will be monitored and the fine for common parking tickets will be $40 -- up $5 from last year. Undoubtedly, the change that will affect most students is the fee increase for parking violations.\nIn light of the massive annual revenue of Parking Operations, some have questioned the need for the fee increase. Parking Manager Doug Porter said the increase was implemented not for monetary reasons but to change the mindset of those who park on campus. \nPorter said he thinks the fee increase will motivate students to think twice about parking illegally. The higher fee will certainly deter some violators, but will it be enough to have the intended effect? Why not put more responsibility on the violators rather than add to the fee?\nMany students defer payment of their tickets in order to have them charged to their bursar account. Students tend to become irresponsible when their ticket fines are sent to the bursar and the tab gets picked up by money from grants, loans, scholarships or mommy and daddy. If the violators had to make each ticket payment in person or by mail, perhaps they would think twice about parking illegally.\nThe reforms implemented at the SRSC parking lot have proven to be quite effective. Up until this year, many students with permits parked in the gym lot while they attended classes all day long. This left very few, if any, spots available for those who actually wanted to use the gymnasium facilities. \nThe SRSC chose to monitor parking with a ticketing validation system that ensures two hours of free parking for all participants with an IU parking permit.\n"The results of a time study conducted on 806 facility users in spring 2003 indicated that 94.7 percent of SRSC users stay less than two hours and therefore would not be affected by the new parking policy," Steve Heeter, director of member services, told RecSports magazine. \nConsidering that intramural sports will be starting up soon, parking officials should be lenient with the two-hour time limit considering that some participants have to wait for court time and logistical issues involving their activity in the center. Taking this into account, it seems the sports complex has applied a very effective solution to its parking problem by having a ticketing system and by eliminating permit and meter sections in the lot.\nFrom Franklin Hall to the SRSC, sound reforms are finally entering the campus parking situation. As more reforms arise, parking officials must keep an open ear to the students while minimizing fees.