New plan allows UGA freshmen to park cars

ATHENS - Despite warnings to the contrary, freshmen at the University of Georgia will be allowed to park their cars on campus under a new parking plan.

To solve parking problems at the Athens campus, UGA officials in December had considered denying freshman, who bring more cars on campus than any other class of undergraduates, the right to park on campus.

Joyce Hardman, manager of UGA Auxiliary Services, which oversees parking, said Wednesday that banning freshmen cars was not included in a draft of the university's new parking plan.

But, she said, nearly every group of UGA drivers faculty, staff and some students supported the restriction for new students in an informal survey.

Instead, the new plan likely will include more carpooling and bicycling. The university's goal is to encourage perimeter parking in lots and decks on the outskirts of campus.

University President Michael Adams was in favor of allowing freshmen to park on campus. He said a ban would likely just push their cars off campus into surrounding neighborhoods, raising complaints in the community.

A draft of the plan, still under consideration by administrators, would update a system of assigning parking on campus by region. It is also expected to come with an increase in parking fees.

The university manages 20,000 parking spaces for 32,000 students, 10,000 faculty and staff members, and thousands of visitors. The university expects to lose 1,600 parking spaces to construction during the next four years, adding to the parking problems.