After adding 360 new faculty and student parking spots last spring, OU will continue its efforts to increase campus parking capacity.

Each year the university budgets $500,000 to maintain and expand campus parking lots, said Ted Jones, OU campus safety director. If this money is allocated in next year's budget, two parking projects will be completed next summer.

Construction crews will add 60 parking spaces to Lot 134, located next to Trautwein Field. Pending completion of the new Bob Wren Stadium, crews will remove Trautwein's batting cage and pitcher warm-up area to make room for the additional spaces. OU plans to refurbish the west side of Peden Stadium parking lot and improve lighting and landscaping.

OU hired Columbus construction consultants NBBJ to plan the projects.

South Green tennis courts might be replaced with a parking lot, creating about 60 spaces, Jones said.

"In terms of the university's master plan for parking, replacing the tennis courts is still a viable component in the master long-term plan," said John Kotowski, facilities planning director.

The tennis courts would be relocated to the golf course near the Ping Center.

During the summer, construction crews finished to two east campus parking lots, at a cost of $640,000.

One lot, located along the railroad bed between East Mulberry and Mill streets and across from Washington Hall, provides faculty and staff 235 parking spaces. By Winter Quarter, the lot will open to students.

The second lot, located across from Mill Street Apartments, added 130 spaces for on-campus students.

OU's efforts to accommodate additional cars on campus has been well accepted, Jones said.

"The faculty and staff have had good feedback about having parking close to where they work and live," he said.