Some students parking near UTEP causing parking problems for neighborhood

As UTEP continues to get more recognition it also gets more students.

But it’s not just the campus that’s getting more students, it’s also the neighborhoods surrounding the university.

There are more than 22,000 students at UTEP and even though there is more student housing than ever before it’s still generally a commuter school.

And that can mean some headaches for the people who live close to campus.

The neighborhood immediately East of UTEP was filled with students parking there even though they’re not supposed to.

In fact, there are signs on every one of these streets that forbid parking without a resident’s permit from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Students we spoke with said they’ll park there anyway and risk a ticket. Most of them said they don’t want to pay for a parking permit to park at UTEP lots.

UTEP parking permits range from $95 to $305 a year and even though there are 9,800 parking spaces on campus. These students say if it’s cheaper, quicker and easier they’ll continue to park in the neighborhood illegally.

ABC-7 asked a student if it would bother her if this was her neighborhood and a bunch of students parked on her street.

“I guess it would but since I dont’ live here… It does probably bother people who live where but it’s near the campus,” the student said.

Apart from the 9,800 parking spaces UTEP also has four shuttle routes and 125 carpool spaces.