Parking changes planned for fall

Jessica Sasseen

Caution – yellow paint ahead.

The Parking and Transportation Committee is gearing up to make several parking changes for drivers in fall 2003.

The committee recently allotted $245,000 for several projects: the Tate Page lot expansion, the proposed Chiller lot located next to Mass Media and Technology Hall and the finishing of another gravel SKyPAC lot between Hilltop shops and the Kentucky Museum lot on University Blvd.

Outgoing Student Government Association president Jamie Sears has served on the committee for three years and said she admires the work the committee is trying to achieve.

“They’re always keeping minds open to keep finding new places for parking lots and better ways to stream-line the parking process,” Sears said.

Students wanting to park in front of the Community College will have to purchase a $65 commuter parking tag beginning next fall.

With a commuter permit, students will be able to park at South Campus as well as any commuter lot on the main campus.

“Even though we had to raise their fee, it provides them an opportunity to come onto campus,” Committee Co-Chairman Randy Deere said. “It brings continuity to our south campus and main campus – it brings us all closer together.”

Previously students have bought specialized tags for South Campus, costing $25. The $25 tag will be available for the Campbell Lane lot only, which is adjacent to the intramural complex.

Changes are also in store for the Tate Page lot.

With the Mass Media and Technology Hall moving in next door, the Tate Page lot will be filled with extra strain.

To help alleviate the overflow, Karl Laves said the committee decided to make the Tate Page Lot an inner loop and reserved lot.

This means faculty and staff who pay $130 for an inner loop pass can park in any non-gated lot they find a space in, inside University Blvd, 15th Street, Normal Drive and Big Red Way.

The gates in Tate Page Lot will be torn down and those spots reduced from 110 to 67 reserved spaces, marked by paint. Reserved spaces are available with a $390 parking pass.

The Tate Page lot currently has 120 spaces, and 110 of those are gated. Laves said after the expansion, the lot will have 67 reserved spots, and 184 total parking spaces.

•With the Downing University Center renovation continuing, residents of Minton Hall and the directional halls will be losing parking spaces in the fall. Laves said the committee is looking to recreate some of those spaces on a new lot outside of the Chiller Building, next to Mass Media and Technology Hall.

He said a first draft of that project showed between 40 and 60 spots could be available for the proposed Chiller Lot. The permits which would be allowed to park there have not been decided, Laves said.

The Chiller lot would also service patient parking for the Health Services Center, which lost its parking due to the Mass Media and Technology building.

“Students going to the health center are now parking on other side of DUC,” Laves said. “And if they have a sprained ankle or a fever, that’s not very good.”

Reach Jessica Sasseen at [email protected].