But some believe the amount of money being generated is not equal to the improvement they see in campus parking. But Porter said plans are under way calling for large portions of Parking Operation's budget. Porter said that despite an increased demand for more parking lots and garages, space to expand is limited to moving upward, not outward. The University was founded with the preservation of natural resources in mind, and officials are reluctant to sacrifice the natural beauty of the campus for increased parking. Most buildings are expendable.
Most green space is off limits.
They won't let me pave Dunn Meadow. The campus was originally built in a small, consolidated manner, when horseback was the most common mode of transportation. The same infrastructure that was built in the early 1800s is still being used today, a time when 18,600 people own an IU parking permit, Porter said. With many of them looking for spots on campus daily, and with 70,000 tickets given out yearly, Porter said, congestion and costs are not likely to decrease any time soon. The limited space for cars on campus has led some to propose alternate methods of transportation, such as the addition of bike paths or added trails, Porter said.