Bellows back-in parking lots enforced with $25 tickets as of today
Cars pulling into the new back-in parking spots on Bellows Street could find a ticket on their windshield starting today.
The 27 new spots, which are west of the intersection Bellows and East Campus Drive, were always intended to be back-in spots, but it was not made as clear as Central Michigan University Police wanted.
“When it was first completed, the signs had not arrived yet,” said Police Chief Bill Yeagley. “Last week, the signs were put in.”
Police did not start enforcing immediately after the signs arrived to give drivers time to notice. Yeagley said he thought people would still assume it was pull-in parking.
The penalty for improperly parking in the back-in spots is a $25 ticket. They are also metered, which has its own penalty if expired.
There are two signs informing drivers of the back-in protocol, with one on each side of the lot. East Jordan senior Sierra Roberts said she parks in the new spots three days a week for her class at the Health Professions Building.
“I’ve never even seen that sign,” she said. “I totally would have gotten a ticket every time.”
The lot’s design causes problems for her when she drives westbound on Bellows and can’t back in from that side of the street, Roberts said. She is prepared to circle the block to park there.
The lot is just to the west of the Carlin Alumni House. It was built over the summer, along with the new mini-circle on Bellows.
Rochester Hills senior Stephen Martin said he thinks the lot is inefficient, regardless of the directions cars are accessing it.
“How are people going to park there when there’s a high amount of traffic?” Martin said. “There’s a car behind you. I think the whole lot’s misplanned.”
The grace period ends today and Yeagley said he hopes drivers back in to the spots as intended.
“My hope is they do that,” Yeagley said, “and life is good.”
