Students are still looking for parking spaces even though NIU has recently acquired 17 new parking spaces on Lincoln Terrace.

Lincoln Terrace once a city-owned street was given to NIU about three weeks ago to create more parking spaces for faculty and staff, said LaRonda Thuestad, assistant parking division manager.

The city street was originally a two-way street but was “landlocked,” surrounded by university property, and students who parked there could get a city parking ticket, said Thuestad.

She said the Campus Parking Committee decided to designate the street as blue-permit parking, which includes NIU faculty and staff, but not students.

“On-street parking would be great, but I was not under the assumption that it (Lincoln Terrace) would be blue-permit (parking),” said Todd Allen, a Campus Parking Committee member.

“I was under the impression they (parking committee members) were just deciding if it could be used for parking,” Allen said.

He said he had to leave the parking committee meeting early for class the day Lincoln Terrace was discussed.

Students who park on Lincoln Terrace, which is now a one-way street, could get a university parking ticket for $20 if they have the wrong color parking permit.

A student also could receive a university parking ticket for $10 if they have no parking permit.

Thuestad said there are 22 student parking lots, most of which are not located near any university buildings except the residence halls and Anderson Hall.

There are about 40 parking lots available to faculty and staff and most of thse lots are closer to university buildings, she said.

“Comparatively speaking, these (staff lots) are smaller (than student lots),” Thuestad said.

She said parking permits are sold on almost a two-to-one basis because “not everyone who has a permit is on campus at the same time.”