Page 8 -The Michigan Daily, Thursday, September 10, 1987
Ann Arbor parking
proves a big hassle
Jernigan hopes to foster
closer relations with 'U'
By LISA POLLAK
After Ann Arbor drivers have
finished dodging the pedestrians and
mastering the city's network of
one-way streets, they still must face
a feat considered difficult by every
Ann Arbor resident - parking.
"For the number of university
students in the community, the
parking here is certainly inad-
equate," Ann Arbor Parking System
Manager Mike Scott said. "But the
University provides most of its
parking for staff and faculty and
very little for students - that's
what makes parking (in the city)
such a problem,"
"It is. not a priority of the
university to provide parking to
students on university property,"
said Betty DeWolf, administrative
assistant for University Parking
Operations. According to DeWolf, a
lack of land restricts the university
from providing the amount of
parking that could, as Scott said,
"lift the burden off the city."
LSA junior Celia Gold echoed
the typical driver's complaint when
she commented, "Parking? I hate it
here! There's not enough facilities
and no consideration for drivers."
Scott said that the city builds
new facilities when they are able to
afford them. The 600 space Tally
Hall structure on Washington Street
was completed last December, and a
new 800 space structure at Ann and
Ashley Streets will be completed in
November. The Ann Arbor Parking
System is self-supporting, so all of
its revenues are put back into the
system to fund these new struc-
tures.
The University also plans to add
new structures to the city, said
DeWolf. Unfortunately, current
construction plans only include
more cites for staff and faculty
parking.
The limited Ann Arbor parking
situation, combined with a Uni-
versity Housing policy that does
not offer parking at most of the
residence halls, forces University
students to "leave the car at home
or face dealing with parking permit
prices, parking tickets, and juggling
around side streets," Jo Rumsey,
assistant director for Housing
Information said.
Even those people who actually
manage to find spaces for their cars
discover that there's rarely such a
thing as "free parking" in Ann
Arbor, Rumsey said.
Drivers can expect to pay up to
$400 a year for parking permits,
except for "non-traditional" resi-
dence halls like Bursley and
(Continued from Page 7)
Another issue of University and
community concern is the lack of
housing for students. Jernigan said
both the University and the city
will examine the possibility of
constructing more high density
housing for students.
Jernigan has also established an
annual dinner between city council
members and University officials to
discuss issues of mutual interest.
The problem of parking in Ann
Arbor- which includes a review of
the ticketing system - also poses
a major dilemma that Jernigan must
deal with.
Although Jernigan admits that
parking will always be a problem,
he said the city has neither the land
nor the money to build another
parking structure. He also said he
does not intend to eliminate
ticketing by raising city taxes,
although some democratic council
members have suggested it.
According to Jernigan, city
council is examining a program
which may allow city residents
guaranteed parking, but he said he
was not certain if the program
would resolve the parking problem.
"If you guarantee someone a spot
on the street then a lot of other
people who normally would have
an opportunity to park there
wouldn't have it," he said.
Jernigan began his University
position in 1972 after earning a
bachelors degree in finance at
Michigan State University and a
Masters in Business Administration
at Eastern Michigan University.
Before college, Jernigan enlisted
in the Air Force where he was
stationed in France and New
Mexico for four years. He then
worked for area finance and trust
firms before coming to Ann Arbor
fifteen years ago.
I
Daily Photo by JOHN MUNSON
A car on State St. shows the consequences of failing to heed Ann Arbor
parking laws. Both local residents and students say parking in Ann Arbor
is one of the city's biggest problems.
Jernigan said he was not
interested in politics during college
and only got involved in public
affairs when he moved to Ann
Arbor. He said friends prompted his
decision to enter city politics. 4
Although both of Jernigan's
parents are Democrats, Jernigan said
he became a Republican because of
the conservative attitude he picked
up at business school.
He became Ann Arbor's Re-
publican Party chair in 1977, and
served on the city's planning
commission and zoning board
before unsuccessfully campaigning
for a seat on city council in 1980.
Though friends attracted him to
politics, Jernigan said personal
reasons got him involved.
"I think it's an important com-
mitment to the town to try and put
something back into the com-
munity," hesaid.
Jernigan decided to run for mayor
because he felt that the job would
be even more satisfying than his!,
council positions.
"I enjoyed my time as a city
council member. The mayor has a
little bit more influence, and I
thought it would be fun," he said.
Fletcher which provide free parking
lots. Often, these permits are only
available in inconvenient locations.
Scott hopes at least to prevent
the Ann Arbor parking problem
from getting worse by "telling
those 37,000 (University) students
to avoid driving unless necessary."
Those who don't listen will surely
join the frustrated drivers who have
called Ann Arbor's parking
"ridiculous," "a pain in the neck,"
and "anything but available."