Following overcrowding and illegal parking in and around the Riverside East parking lot, UA Transportation Services is opening up the Northeast Commuter Campus Drive lot to campus residents and offering $50 Bama Cash to seniors and resident advisors to park elsewhere.

Yellow residential permit-holders are having difficulty finding parking spots following the removal of 290 spaces on the west side of the Riverside East Yellow Residential surface lot over winter break to accommodate parking deck construction.

“After 8 p.m., it is literally a dog fight to find a parking spot,” said Hamilton Bromhead, a freshman majoring in journalism who lives in the Presidential dorm. “Every inch of grass, and every curb is full with students’ cars. Despite the horrible parking situation, they’re still giving tickets out like candy, like this University actually needs more money.”

McCall Robinson, a freshman resident permit holder, said the parking situation was tense before construction began but is now nearly unmanageable as residents who cannot find a space are parking illegally, choking up the available lots.

“There was barely enough parking before the closing of the Riverside lot due to the fact that they didn’t build a single parking space when they built the Presidential Village, ” Robinson said. “They also should have waited until school was out of session to do this construction work. The parking on this campus is always a grievance.”

Transportation Services emailed yellow residential permit holders on Monday morning, stating that they “will allow” yellow residential parking permit holders to park in the Northeast Commuter Campus Drive lot, as a “temporary courtesy” through the spring 2013 semester. Students paid $280 in the fall for year-long residential permits.

(See also “UA transportation services grosses $7 million”)

“This additional parking area has been implemented to help eliminate illegal parking in the Riverside parking lot that has created safety concerns,” according to the emailed statement. “In the future any vehicle parked illegally will be subject to the present rules and regulations of the University, including citations and towing.”

Robinson said the crowding has been spilling into The Highlands parking lot and, after ticketing hours, people park illegally, making it difficult to drive through the lots.

The Northeast Commuter Campus Drive lot, located across the street from the Recreation Center pool, is accessed by the Crimson Ride until 10 p.m. on weekdays. Residential students parking in the lot will have to board a Green or Blue route bus, ride to the Campus Drive Deck bus hub and then transfer to a Gold route bus to reach the Riverside, Presidential, Highland and Lakeside dorm areas.

After 10 p.m. and on the weekends, when the Crimson Ride isn’t operating, 348-RIDE Demand for Service vans will be available for travel to and from the dorms.

“I am happy that they have opened up a new lot, where we would have safe transportation back to our dorm,” Abby Duncan, a freshman majoring in interior design, said. “But I am still upset it is so far away.”

Alicia Browne, director of Housing Administration, emailed residential seniors and RAs Monday night to offer $50 Bama Cash to the first 100 students who agree to park only in the Clara Verner lot, north of The Highlands apartment community on Old Hackberry Lane.

“If you agree to this offer, you must be aware of the following conditions: You may only park in the eastern designated lot at Clara Verner Towers. This lot will be clearly marked. If you park in any other area within the Clara Verner property, you are subject to being towed at your own expense,” Browne wrote. “While parking in the Yellow Zone you are ONLY allowed to park in this lot. You are not permitted to park in any other yellow parking area, regardless of time or day of week.”

The Clara Verner permit would also be valid in the Northeast Campus Drive lot.

Bromhead said he’s had parking issues in the Riverside lot all year and is glad there will be extra parking but thinks residents shouldn’t be put in the situation of having to park far away in the first place.

“It’s ridiculous. It is forcing hundreds of students to park miles away, or park illegally, in which case the university will happily give them a ticket – even though they are the ones messing everything up,” Bromhead said. “This is poor timing on the University’s part, and I think I speak for every student when I say that the parking here is horrible.”

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