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Problems with parking addressed
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Boise State University, in conjunction with the Boise City Police Department and the Southeast Neighborhood Association, combined forces and worked diligently in creating policies to reduce parking problems resulting from home football games.
The neighborhoods south of Boise State have been infested with thoughtless sports fans who create havoc with their automobiles by obstructing driveways and fire hydrants, parking too close to corners, and from time to time, mistaking front lawns for a parking lot.
Rich Wright, Boise Police Department spokesman said his department for quite sometime has received numerous complaints from residents regarding illegal parking problems on game days.
“Over the course of time we have been able to keep some of the parking problems at bay,” he said, “but as more and more people are attending sports functions, it was decided the time had come to come up with a parking plan.”
Strategies include free parking in lots, closed streets, and increased patrol.
It was suggested a year ago to create free parking on campus for football games, Larry Blake, Director of Facilities Planning said.
Blake said the issue is now gaining support and all the lots essentially west of the Liberal Arts Building are free to general public, including the library lot.
The new parking structure, which holds about 650 spots, is also free on game days.
For special events, such as Art in the Park last Saturday, BSU will charge for parking until a couple of hours before the begins.
The University will continue charging for parking at the Student Union Parking lot because it is operated on an everyday basis. The cost is $5 for games and this is the only place on campus charging for parking.
However, five lots around stadium were rented for the day for Bronco Athletics Association, Blake said. He explained the lots closest to the stadium are closed for boosters.
“It is all free, but the condition is for those lots, you need to be a BAA member,” said Blake.
Parking director Bob Seibolt said the lack of revenue gained from charging for parking will not be a significant impact. In the past, parking during home games generated $10,000 in revenue by charging people for parking in the lots.
Both Seibolt and Blake predicted no big increase in parking revenue gained from Boise’s involvement with the WAC conference.
Revenue generated from the sale of parking permits, tickets and the ability to rent lots collectively benefit parking operations.
“This money is used to keep the operation afloat and used to build more parking lots and structures,” Blake said.
Wright said the new free parking is a message to fans to utilize free parking on campus, and to try not to park on outlying areas so you don’t inhibit residents.
However a solution to parking is needed for the future.
“We have a very lucky schedule for home games this year, in that there is only one afternoon game,” Blake said.
The status of current student parking, considering the heightened enrollment numbers this year, combined with additional sporting fans automobiles, makes the parking situation much stickier. Current plans for additional parking garages are being made, but none will directly be linked with the Pavilion area.
“It’s been suggested a number of times,” Blake said, but “It’s not a very good place for a parking structure.”
The master plan for the University’s physical improvements includes moving parking to the perimeter of the campus.
“The intent of the master plan was to move the parking to the perimeter of the campus as much as possible in structures,” Blake said.
Blake included analysis of problems pertaining to the addition of a parking structure near the Pavilion.
The restraining nature of Broadway’s intersections around the University would increase the load-out time, and arterial entryways to the structure would be constantly clogged.
To appease current parking problems, the Pavilion lot was re-striped this summer, adding around 50 new spaces.
The expectation of parking free on residential streets, close to the stadium is going to become less and less the case, because there are more restrictions being placed on residential areas, and the police department is clamping down on parking violations, Blake said.
“It is just part of the football tradition. It is a beautiful fall day, and it’s time to take advantage of the weather and walk a little ways to the game,” he said.
Laura Wylde
