Jonathan Broyles has lived on Cornell Drive for three months. He said he parks in his driveway, but if he had to park on the street it would be difficult.
Many residential streets around UNM are permit parking only because residents often find their driveways blocked and no place to park on the street.
"If there was no permit parking, there would be cars up and down the street and no spaces," said Eileen Graham, vice president of the University Heights Neighborhood Association.
Lori Casias, an administrative assistant for the City of Albuquerque's Traffic and Engineering Department, said residential streets usually become permit parking when residents make a request for it.
"Residents have problems with university students," Casias said. "There's a lot of congestion and blocking of driveways."
Liz Wright, traffic investigation supervisor with the Traffic and Engineering Department, conducts license plate studies to find the percentage of residents that park around the University area. The next step is determining if a residential street should become parking by permit only.
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Wright said residents must first sign a petition and then draft a letter, sending both documents to the managing engineer at the department.
When 75 percent of the cars are shown to be owned by residents, they can then begin requesting permit parking.
"The reason they ask for it in the first place is because they don't have parking because students are taking up spaces and blocking driveways," Wright said.
Graham said it's impossible to park during permit hours.
"Students make an effort to park as close to campus as possible," she said. "In my experience and opinion, the neighborhood is overloaded."
Graham, who has lived at her residence for three years, said she is allowed two off-street parking permits and one guest permit. She said the neighborhood association hosts block parties to distribute permits to residents.
Areas around UNM that are permit parking include north of Lomas Boulevard, south of Central Avenue and areas between Lomas and Central. Wright said it can go as far as Bryn Mawr Drive, with some areas nearing the freeway.
Fraternities and sororities at the University also have an agreement with the city that gives permit parking to the houses, said Debbie Morris, director of the Student Activities Center.
