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Gainesville City Commission discusses parking decals near UF campus

The Gainesville City Commission’s Community Development Committee met Tuesday night to propose new action regarding neighborhood-parking decals in Gainesville, specifically near the University of Florida campus.

“The demand for parking in that area is just blown out of proportion,” said City Commissioner Yvonne Hinson-Rawls, “and we have to do something to control parking in that area.”

Neighborhood parking decals are good for one year and cost $19.50. Many students purchase city decals instead of campus decals, which cost $75 a semester and $150 annually.

The committee met to discuss options to address the parking issue. It proposed to increase the price of city parking decals to $100 a year.

“The price right now is reasonable,” UF student Daniel Miller said of the city decals. “It’s a bit expensive, but it’s for the whole year. I wouldn’t want to buy one, and I feel like that is a little expensive.”

The committee also proposed to adjust the permit boundaries and change commuting patterns, which City Commissioner Thomas Hawkins defines as demand management.

“People only need to store a car somewhere if they bring it with them,” Hawkins said. “If we find transportation options, then people won’t need to store their cars.”

The committee hopes to find easier ways for students and Gainesville residents to utilize RTS and to find alternatives to parking in the city spots near campus.

“We need to get control of parking so that people who live in that area and people who need to go to school in the area have a fair and balanced way to park in the area,” Hinson-Rawls said.

Laura Foreman wrote this story online.

Jaclyn is a reporter who can be contacted by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org.