By Mitch Morrison
Tuition increases and parking issues are the most prevalent concerns for University of Louisville students. As of August 15, 2006, U of L’s parking situation took another hit.The city of Louisville, working with the requests of the Old Louisville Preservation Society, has imposed a permit-based parking system for the neighborhood just to the north of U of L’s Belknap campus. The program creates a Resident Parking Zone, where it allows residents of the neighborhood to gain reasonable access to their houses and apartments.The span of the Resident Parking Zone stretches from West Second Street to Fifth Street, and from North Cardinal Boulevard to Hill Street. Depending on the street, tickets will be issued to those without a pass during the hours of 8:00am to 4:00pm or 6:00pm.To receive a pass for the Resident Parking Zone, one must prove that they are a resident of Old Louisville and pay a fee of $20. Guest passes are available as well. Passes can be picked up at the Old Louisville Information Center at 1340 South Fourth Street.For the first fifteen days of the program, violators will be issued warnings for breaking the guidelines. After that, a parking ticket will cost the driver $35, or $45 if paid 15 days after the violation.Parking permit prices range from $47.00 to $463.00, but some students will refuse to purchase a parking permit, and are willing to take their chances with the lottery that is on-street parking.Parking lots close to campus have been disappearing or redrawn for the past five years to accommodate residential students. In recent history, parking lots have gotten the short end of the stick when it has come to new building projects. The site of the Belknap Research building, Natatorium, and the athletic center under construction on Floyd Street were all previously parking lots for students. Some commuters can only turn to the distant Papa Johns Cardinal Stadium parking lot for a place to rest their car while they are in class.Many of the students who live in the neighborhood of Old Louisville actually support the Resident Parking Zone. It allows the students who have near-campus housing to come to their apartments and houses mid-day, improving their chances of having a parking spot reasonably close to where they live. University of Louisville students are not the only ones to blame for the over-parking in Old Louisville; Dupont Manual High School was also named as a reason for the crowd of cars. For more information on the new Resident Parking Zone, please visit www.louisvilleky.gov/parc.
