UK Transportation Services has announced parking changes for the 2017-2018 school year.

The changes expand upon the tiered parking model first introduced for the 2016-2017 school year. In 2015, Transportation Services released a Transportation Master Plan.

Parking permit rates will “largely remain unchanged,” according to the website.

UK Transportation Services Communications Officer Chrissie Tune said that based on feedback the office had received, students most wanted more options for parking on campus. Another concern was more predictability for parking spaces.

Most student residential parking areas and some employee parking areas will become part of the core parking tier. According to the website, core parking tier areas “have a higher permit cost, but will provide greater predictability through permit restrictions.”

Core is the top tier, followed by intermediate, periphery and remote.

A new, cheaper option for residential students are the remote permits, which give access to the Greg Page and Shawneetown parking areas on the southernmost part of campus, Tune said. A K Lot parking pass beside Commonwealth Stadium is $272 while the remote permit is $148. These new parking areas can still be reached by UK transit with a necessary bus transfer.

With the increased options, students can choose how much they are willing to pay based on their transportation needs.

“If they’re only going to use their car once a week, if they just have it to go home on the weekends, the remote might be a good choice for them,” Tune said.

The designation of several lots and garages will change as well. The Rose Street Garage (also called Parking Structure #2), the Sports Center Garage (Parking Structure #7) and the Prall Street Lot, all employee parking areas, will become core tier parking. In addition to core employee permits, the Sports Center Garage will have a large number of student residential core parking.

UK Transportation Services said on its website that these changes will help facilitate traffic on Sports Center Drive and Hilltop Avenue by spreading traffic throughout the day.

The Woodland Avenue Lot will be changing from an on-campus residential lot to an intermediate employee lot.

Tune said that the main change is the addition of more residential parking, including residential parking spots on north campus.

Employee core parking permits can be attained through an open lottery, which is a new method for this year. Core parking for employees is also new, Tune said.

Tune said the transportation office experimented with this system on a small scale near the Lexington Theological Seminary. Its success caused it to be expanded for all employees on campus.

Applications for the lottery will be open from April 17 to May 1, and the lottery will occur in early May. Intermediate employee sales will be next, followed by student sales. The detailed permit calendar will be released as the dates get closer.