Rezoning affects city parking areas

Money saved by avoiding parking tickets is money earned, so students who enjoy nights out downtown should take note; new re-zoning might change the way they park. Parking overnight is no longer an option, unless students are willing to risk parking tickets.\nThe regulations, approved at a Bloomington Common Council meeting in July, began as soon as the ball dropped Jan. 1. Students are not the only ones affected by the changes. Area businesses have paid attention to the possible advantages and disadvantages, as well as law enforcement, who may be forced to keep a sharper watch as students attempt to find alternative routes home to avoid parking violations.\n"We've extended the two-hour limit from eight to five Monday through Friday to five to five Monday through Saturday in spots downtown," said Deputy Mayor James McNamara. \nHe added that a large block of downtown Bloomington is to be included in this re-zoning effort.\n"It varies from street to street, but it is roughly in the box of Walnut Street, 11th Street, Fourth Street and Rogers Street to the west," McNamara said. \nThere are exceptions to the changes in these areas, he said. Signs have been posted in the re-zoned areas that reflect the new regulations.\nMcNamara also said the changes were not to increase city revenue. The regulations were instead enacted to increase the availability of downtown parking for citizens. This could allow more turn-over of parking spaces, which enables a greater availability of parking downtown. The new regulations come on the heels of another major parking change downtown, the inclusion of 24/7 parking meters at the garage on Seventh and Walnut Streets as well as the garage at Seventh Street and College Avenue. \nLt. Jerry Minger of the IU Police Department is unsure whether the regulations could increase the drunk driving problem in Bloomington because students can't ditch their cars after a night of drinking, \n"It's hard to say at this point what kind of effect (the new regulations) will have," Minger said. "My gut feeling is that most of the people affected will be residents of the downtown area, and they already have parking garages at their apartments, so it won't change too much. But, just like with other new restrictions, we'll just have to see." \nIn terms of business, Liza Prall, an employee at Kilroy's Sports Bar, didn't think that the new parking re-zoning would have an effect on business, but the new 24/7 parking meters may. \n"I don't suppose it will really hurt or help, because most of our lunch crowd comes in between 12:30 and 1:30," Prall said. "Certainly, (the new 24/7 parking meters) are not good for business, because customers have to pay to park at all times." \nShe added that both changes in downtown parking could also impact employee's finding spaces to park during work. \nMatt Jessen, a bartender at Scotty's Brewhouse, expressed his displeasure for both new regulations. "Personally, I'm not so crazy about them because the 24/7 parking garage basically takes away from wages," Jessen said. "Now it's either use that, or risk getting fined." He also said that it could affect business in that people will leave the bar earlier because they can no longer park their cars downtown overnight.\n-- Contact City & State Editor Mike Wilson at mhwilson@indiana.edu.