AMES, Iowa (AP) - Football fans intending to drive to Jack Trice Stadium in Ames for Saturday’s game between Iowa State University and the University of Iowa face a bigger parking challenge than usual: Fines for illegal parking have been doubled.
The city passed an ordinance earlier this year to raise the fine to $40 from $20 for illegal parking from 6 a.m. to midnight on game days.
Geoff Huff with the Ames Police Department says most lots near the stadium charge $20 to park, so people were paying the same in fines to park illegally and closer to the stadium than paying to park legally elsewhere.
Huff says police project around 150,000 people will be in and around the stadium Saturday, compared with an estimated 80,000 in the area for the game two years ago. He says the increase will come in part because ESPN’s College GameDay production and crew have come to town.
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