Parking changes around Burke Hall went into effect on March 13 due to renovations of Foster Auditorium.
According to the UA parking services Web site, approximately 32 parking spaces will be available in the Burke lot. Entry into the lot will only be permitted from Sixth Avenue.
Parking for brown residential permit holders and green faculty and staff will be expanded. Parking lots that are part of this expansion include all of Hayden-Harris Hall, Farrah Hall, the lot at the southwest corner of Bryant Drive and Hackberry, the lot west of the Baptist Student Union building and the lot south of the Aquatic Center.
Commuters who parked in the Baptist Student Union area will now park at the Bryant Drive lot or at Coleman Coliseum.
Gina Johnson, director of auxiliary services, said parking for residential students is a major concern.
“In that pension and renovation, some of the residential student parking spaces will be relocated. That’s our number one priority – offering the residential students parking spaces close to their residence. That’s the main change that is happening,” Johnson said.
Johnson said while parking in the Burke lot has been reduced, adequate parking resources would be available in different parking lots. She said some lots are never filled to capacity, and this will still allow for convenient parking for students, commuters and faculty and staff.
“You can see on the [parking] map that the faculty and staff that work and park in that area will have new parking resources available to them,” Johnson said. “Capacity is far from being reached in the Coleman Coliseum lot, for example. It runs at 70 percent capacity each day.”
According to the Web site, additional changes will be made over the summer. Permanent parking changes will be in place when classes resume in August. These permanent changes will be made regardless of the completion of Foster Auditorium renovations.
“It’s very important for people to understand that there will be additional changes by August,” Johnson said. “People that park and live in this area need to be focused on what the parking map looks like for the fall so they can prepare themselves for those changes. This is not the final plan.”
David Jones, assistant vice president for student affairs and executive director of housing and residential communities, said all individuals who are affected by the parking changes have been well informed about these changes.
“Housing and Residential Communities has been impressed by the efforts of Transportation Services in informing residents of the changes. HRC has assisted them with spreading the news through flyers, emails, and announcements,” Jones said in an e-mail.
Jones said the parking changes will not create a large inconvenience to students who live on campus.
“There have been vacant residential parking spaces all year in several of the residential-designated lots near Burke and Parham,” Jones said. “I expect students may have to park in a different residential lot, but one that is still in close proximity.”
More information about the parking changes can be found at bamaparking.ua.edu.
