Parking garage to be built

IU Parking Operations is looking to construct a new parking garage, possibly to be located between Atwater Avenue and Third Street near the Acacia fraternity house, said Doug Porter, parking operations director.\nAlso under consideration is a $3 increase in parking permit costs.\nFreshman Jake Wirth said he is excited that the campus is tackling one of its thorniest issues.\n"I felt the (Residential Programs and Services) Parking Operations System has pushed students into a frustrated corner," he said. "It is obvious that parking is an issue on campus."\nPorter said IU has many plans to help frustrated students like Wirth, the biggest of which is the paving of the Blue Lot at the corner of 17th and Fee Lane, he said.\nThe lot is currently gravel and is dusty when it is dry and difficult to clear after snow, Porter said. The paving will happen this summer along with the paving of several smaller lots.\nParking Operations also has skeleton plans to build another parking garage within the next few years. The garage, which will probably be located between Atwater and Third street, would be in the vicinity of Acacia, Porter said.\n"It takes about one year to build a garage from breaking ground," he said, although Parking Operations is still considering different potential sites.\nThough IU Student Association President Casey Cox proposed a parking ticket reform package, Porter does not think it is possible for the current computer system. \n"We pitched the committee our parking fine reform package that would lower fines for one and two time offenders and raise fines on those habitual offenders," Cox said. \nThough Porter supported the suggestion, he said it would be impossible to implement this with the current parking ticket technology in the next year. Porter still thinks it could ultimately be incorporated, he said. \n"We haven't given up on that proposal (in the future)," Porter said.\nThere is also a parking permit rate increase being considered by Parking Operations, which would increase fees by about $3 a year.\nCox has been working throughout his time in office for better parking. \n"Because 78 percent of parking offenders are in this one to two time offender category, I feel they shouldn't be paying the high $40 that the 22 percent of repeat nominal parkers are paying," Cox said. "There are of course logistical problems with updating parking technology to make our plan feasible. We have to hope that such a system could be in place in the next couple years and therefore will strongly encourage our successors to continue the fight for parking equity."\nIn addition to a different ticketing system, IUSA supports the Atwater and Third garage proposal.\nThis is good news for frustrated students like Wirth.\n"I'm often upset that I pay so much for a permit and am late for work because I had no where to park," he said. "I would support an increase in permit prices by $3, if it will help Parking Operations to get more spots for students."\nFor more information visit www.parking.indiana.edu or www.indiana.edu/~iusa.\n-- Contact staff writer Cecelia Wolford at cwolford@indiana.edu.