Ball State's parking task force has submitted 11 recommendations for changing the parking services program. The proposed alterations include year-round enforcement of rules, higher fines for violations and a state-of-the-art parking management system.
The task force consists of 10 Ball State faculty, three members of the Muncie community and two students. The committee, formed at the end of the fall semester by Dean of Students Randy Hyman, submitted the short-term ideas to Hyman last week.
Currently, parking regulations are not enforced during university breaks such as winter holidays. The parking task force recommended that the rules be enforced the entire year, without change.
Public safety director Gene Burton says that one of the biggest complaints about parking services is that they are inconsistent. He says year-round enforcement would help in that area.
"It lends consistency to the program," Burton said. "With consistency, you have consistent expectations."
The task force also recommended that fines for parking infractions be increased, though they did not specify the amount of the potential increase. The report written by the task force states that it will suggest amounts for the increases if asked to do so.
Anita Brown, one of two students on the task force, said the extra money collected could potentially help support a new bar-coding system.
The task force suggested that the T2 parking management system hardware and software be purchased. This program includes a bar code feature on parking tags. A simple scan of the code would provide information on the car. This system would potentially speed up the ticketing process and make parking services more efficient.
The task force also recommends that metered parking spots be labeled in a manner that allows drivers to know the duration of the meter without leaving their car. The report also called for a shuttle stop in the overflow lot by the baseball field.
Hyman emphasized that the report is not finalized, but is just a list of recommendations. Therefore, Hyman says, none of the logistics have been determined, including additional costs or potential savings.
"I just received these in the middle of last week and they haven't been shared with anyone else at this point," Hyman said. "I haven't forwarded my thinking on the recommendations to other colleagues, including the vice presidents and president."
Brown assumes that students will not be pleased with the proposal, but she says changes need to be made.
"The students aren't going to like (the recommendations)," Brown said. "The parking situation is totally bunk, but there is only so much we can do about it."
According to the report, the parking task force members support implementation of these recommendations at the beginning of the next school year. The committee is scheduled to submit long-term recommendations to Hyman by December.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
