As a university that has more than of 40,000 students, IU and the city of Bloomington have a lot of parking options.
With plenty of students living off campus, there have been some changes to parking on campus and within Bloomington. These include increased parking rates, lessened hours for free parking and a hike in citation fees.
One of the major changes is a reduction from three hours of free parking to one in the Fourth Street, Seventh Street and Morton Street parking garages. Despite the changes, all three garages will now have enforcement hours from 8 a.m. Monday through 4 a.m. on Sunday.
Free parking in these garages will expire on Jan. 1, 2021.
With both students and the general population of Bloomington purchasing parking permits, Adam Wason, director of Bloomington’s public works department, said that’s where a majority of questions come from.
How to apply for a neighborhood parking permit
To be eligible to obtain a neighborhood parking permit, you must maintain residence within a neighborhood parking zone. You’re able then to apply for one permit per vehicle but must be able to provide a proof of residency which could be a property tax statement or a utility bill. Renters must also submit a current lease and have their vehicle registration.
If you’re eligible, then you have to apply by mail after calling or mailing for a request for the application to the Parking Enforcement office because the applications can’t be done online.
How to obtain a campus parking permit
To apply and purchase an IU campus parking permit, current students can just log in to One.IU and search parking in the search bar.
If you’re applying for a residence hall pass, you must put your name on the RPS parking waitlist that opens up in March and runs through the summer, before being notified in August about which permit is available for purchase. For freshmen or new students, there’s a high chance that the permit won’t be made available for residence hall parking because the system gives the first passes to students with a higher class standing.
One way to ensure that you have the best chance as a freshman is to apply for housing as soon as it opens in February because that’s the second criteria that the waitlist system operates on.
Once you receive an email informing which permit is available to purchase, a link will direct you to where it’s possible to purchase a bike permit, a residence hall parking permit or a stadium parking permit for a cheaper cost.
