Western Kentucky University officials continue efforts to improve parking on campus through a car share program and construction of a new parking garage. 

A six-story parking garage going up in a parking lot adjacent to Creason Street will add 500 spaces. However, the location of a water line will require the building to be moved from its initially intended spot.

Still, Bryan Russell, WKU’s chief facilities officer, doesn’t expect the completion of the project to be delayed. 

“We have been working through design and we still have the completion date being in August of next year,” he told the Daily News. Construction of the garage, deemed Parking Structure 3, is set to start in September. 

The 24-inch water line belongs to Bowling Green Municipal Utilities. Russell said relocating the line would be more expensive than simply moving the parking structure to the left of its originally planned location. Design of the project was underway when the problem was found, he said. 

“It really isn’t going to change the project,” he said.

The total cost of the project is about $10 million, he said. 

As work to expand parking on campus continues, there’s also an effort to get more students to take advantage of a car sharing program. 

Students enrolled in the Enterprise CarShare program will benefit from an extra car, bringing the university’s fleet of vehicles available for rent to three. The current two cars are stationed in the Barnes parking lot. The new one will be available off College Heights Boulevard. 

Jennifer Tougas, director of Parking and Transportation, said the program is a part of a group of an incentives the university offers through its Car Free Program. 

Along with regular access to WKU’s busing system, the program offers a GObg bus pass, a bike tune-up at an on-campus bike shop and up to four discounted shuttle trips to Nashville International Airport and the Greyhound Bus Station. Students don’t have to participate in the overall Car Free program, but if they do they get a complimentary enrollment in the program valued at $35. 

Tougas said WKU gets a lot of mileage out of providing transportation alternatives that free up commuter spaces on campus. Bringing a car to campus and paying insurance and gas can be expensive for students, she said, but the car share program covers those costs. It’s particularly popular with out-of-state and international students, she said. 

After students enroll in the program, they receive an ID that allows access to the car. Reservations are made online and students can use their IDs to unlock the car and end the session once they’re finished. 

“Students have transportation needs like everybody else does,” Tougas said. “This really gives them an affordable, convenient alternative to bringing their own car to campus.”

— Follow reporter Aaron Mudd on Twitter @aaron_muddbgdn or visit bgdailynews.com.