Tucson forms body to look at UA-city parking dispute

Tucson's parking and transportation commission created a subcommittee Monday to help hammer out a compromise between UA and city officials over campus parking.

The city's Transportation Enterprise Area Management commission appointed the subcommittee after a seven-hour work session on parking issues involving the university and downtown , said Karen Miller, administrative assistant for the city's parking department.

"We'd like to have something (from the subcommittee) before October," Miller said

The University of Arizona and the city are at odds over a city proposal to sell parking permits on streets around campus where parking is now free. The city wanted to sell permits ranging from $300 to $500, and install parking meters in other areas around UA buildings.

"We want to make revenue to make street improvements in the area and operate a shuttle between the university and downtown," said Chris Leighton, the city's parking program coordinator.

The subcommittee's goal will be to find a parking program agreeable for both the university and the city.

"Basically, we'd like to get in there with programs - we aren't stuck on any particular thing," Leighton said. "UA now just plain says no; that doesn't make us happy."

Miller said the subcommittee will be made up of two commission members. She will be present at the meetings along with Marlis Davis, director of UA parking and transportation, and Leighton.

Davis and Leighton are both members of the TEAM commission.

Leighton said the subcommittee will meet with the UA and the city separately to get each side of the issue. He said another public hearing on the issue is in the works.

University parking officials were unavailable for comment.

Leighton said the city still wants to implement some sort of plan, but the decision could be up to the commission.

"If the UA is extremely unhappy, I don't know if the city would come through," he said. "If the TEAM commission comes out and says goæ- we'll go."