Town Faces New Issues Of Parking

On March 19, Chancellor James Moeser approved a plan that would institute night parking permits and raise the cost of daytime parking on campus. The night permits would cost $122 for students and $166 for faculty. Daytime rates could climb by as much as 40 percent.

In fall 2000, there were 15,658 students living off campus, and the number has risen since then. With greater demand and increased prices for parking on campus, town officials think more students will compete for town parking.

There are 850 spots in the downtown area that are a mix of meter and rental spaces. But Kevin Creech, the Chapel Hill assistant parking superintendent, said he thinks the new University policy will push up parking rates in town lots.

"As far as we know, no new spaces will be opened up," Creech said.

"But it's likely that fines, hourly parking rates, as well as the price for rental spaces, will go up in the next year."

But Creech also said nothing is for certain, and all action must be approved by the Chapel Hill Town Council.

Council member Flicka Bateman said the town has not officially scheduled any meetings to address the parking changes.

"This hasn't been on our radar screen," Bateman said.

"But I assume the same issue that confronts the town during the day, with people from the University parking in town, will carry on into the night."

Bateman said one solution to parking problems downtown is for off-campus students to increase their use of public transportation.

"I certainly hope there will be an increase in the use of buses," Bateman said.

"I think (the council) needs to do more to encourage use of mass transit as far as tweaking routes and times."

Chapel Hill Planning Director Roger Waldon said the increased price of parking permits and the requirement of a night parking permit will put more pressure on the town's limited free parking.

"I agree that (the University policy) has the potential for putting more pressure on free places to park in town," Waldon said.

And while the council makes the final call on the price of parking, an increase is not out of the question, Waldon said.

"One effect will be increased use of town lots, but I hope that the use of free University lots and cash town lots will balance out," he said.

Although the council has not addressed the potential problems associated with parking at night, Bateman said people can expect the current daytime problems to extend into the evening.

"(University parking policy) just puts the current situation over the town for extended hours."

The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu.