Parking at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is going to get even more difficult in the near future as the university plans to hike its parking rates starting July 1.

The most noticeable change will come on the west side of campus in the Sciences parking lot. The Sciences lot will change to a pay station-only lot, similar to the underground parking structure at the Union. Currently it’s open to anyone with a regular parking pass or in-car meters.

The cost of a regular parking pass on campus will increase from $695 to $750. Also, event parking will go up from $4 to $5, motorcycle parking permits will jump from $30 to $70, and a 24-hour parking pass at Sandburg will go from $8.50 to $9.

Josh Kapfer, a doctoral student in the biological sciences department, said that although he understands why the university needs to make money, UWM should try and make parking easier for students.

“Parking on campus is already an issue because there’s not enough of it,” Kapfer said. “They need to address that instead of making things even less convenient than they already are.”

Director of the Office of University Architects/Planning & Transportation Claude Schuttey said that the changes in campus parking are needed to balance the school’s parking and transit budget. According to Schuttey, the Parking and Transit Office paid most of the cost of maintaining parking facilities in years when there was a surplus in the department. He said that students and faculty “are not aware of the true costs” of this.

The only parking area on campus that won’t be affected by these changes is the Klotsche Center Pavilion, which opened last winter. The Pavilion parking will stay at 70 cents an hour, while other pay stations, such as Sandburg and Cunningham, will rise to 80 cents an hour.

Schuttey said this is part of an effort to get more students and faculty parking at the Pavilion.

In a UWM press release, Schuttey said that the Klotsche Pavilion is rarely filled.

“(The Pavilion) is underused, often one-third to two-thirds empty.”

The Pavilion at the Klotsche Center, with its 600 available parking spaces, cost a reported $20 million to construct. The university hopes that by making it the cheapest lot on campus, it will see increased use from students and faculty.

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