Although more student parking lots have become available on campus, some students are questioning how much they are willing to pay for the spaces.

With the closure of Lot 80 because of construction, the university decided to open several other lots for students around campus, including those close to the dormitories, said Teresa Davis, director of transportation.

On-campus students' parking prices were raised from $100 per semester or $180 total for the 2002-2003 school year to the current rate of $125 per semester, $220 for the year.

The prices of core parking permits, which allow students to park closer to residence halls, were set at $275 per semester or $520 annually, Davis said.

While student parking prices have risen, commuters who came back to campus this year found their rates lower than previous years.

One commuter, Michael Meerovich (sophomore-finance), had to pay $50 for the entire year, down from $160.

"I think the price is really fair," he said, adding that he would pay up to $80 for a commuter permit.

Meerovich said he does not mind the location of the commuter lot, which is by the Bryce Jordan Center, since the Blue Loop makes frequent stops.

"As long as there's a Loop, I wouldn't care where the lot is," he said.

This fall core parking permits became available near East, Pollock and South halls, Davis said.

"Rather than put [students] out past commuter lots, we replaced Lot 80 with spaces around residence halls," she said.

Faculty and staff lots were converted to student lots around East and South Halls as part of the change, she said.

East Halls and North Halls students were offered core parking around East, while Pollock and South Halls residents were offered areas adjacent to McKean and Pollock roads.

West Halls students were offered a limited number of parking permits for the Red A parking lot, on the west side of North Atherton Street, near the bus station.

Kristin Daigle (junior-secondary education) said commuter lot prices should be going up to encourage carpool and public transportation.

Davis said the lower commuter rate is used to provide an incentive for faculty, staff and students to park on the perimeter of campus and utilize the transit system.

Daigle has parked on campus for the past three years and has witnessed firsthand the rise in prices.

"With the new core permits, it's ridiculous to have to pay over $500 dollars to park in a closer spot," she said. "It shouldn't be a matter of who's richer."

She said the university should make it possible for upperclassmen to park in closer lots.

"There shouldn't be two different prices, but rather how close you are to the building, your age and how many credits you have," she said.

But Daigle noted that most students are able to walk from distant lots.

Davis said the cost of parking permits is contingent upon transportation funding.

"Transportation services receives a portion from tuition to cover costs," she said.

"If rates were reduced for some spots, rates for others would need to rise."

Alex Mieczkowski (junior-sociology) agreed with Daigle and said the distance to the lots is not a very large problem.

"Any distance to a lot would not affect whether or not I bring a car," she said.

Mieczkowski, who lives in Cincinnati, said she needs to have a car on campus.

University spokesman Tysen Kendig said the university is trying to be more consistent with other universities around the nation by placing parking lots at the periphery of the campus.

"An underlying goal for the university is to make it more student friendly, and part of that is to make it more pedestrian friendly," Kendig said.