ADifferent Look at Parki BY MATT FEAGINS B


UILDING GARAGES ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES seems to be where the parking facility construction mon- ey is going these days. Parking garages are popping up on campuses like freeloaders popping up at the latest keg party.


Back when I went to college (and


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the fraternity next doorwas under dou- ble secret probation – it’s been that long!), campus parking was in the street or in the small lot next to the dorm. Parking garages were reserved for the big buildings downtown. Now garages are the big buildings on college campuses. The college student is busy with


work, study and play on the daily “to do” list. Like the active college stu- dent, the modern day campus garage also has tomultitask and providemore than just parking. That has caused the programming of these facilities to becomemuchmore challenging. Parking garage uses have changed


inmany ways.


Use: A building in which to park cars Traditional: Provide a place for


parking cars. Modern:Provide a place for park-


ing cars and generating electricity via roof-mounted photovoltaic cells.


Use: A utility source Traditional: Supply electricity to


security golf carts so they pollute less when scooting around campus. Modern: Supply electricity to Seg-


ways so they pollute less when being driven around campus. This doesn’t differ much from the traditional use, but Segways are so much cooler than golf carts!


Use: Space for additional activities Traditional: Provide a welcoming


hideout where students can engage in amorous or illicit activities. Modern: Offer welcome centers


800.370.6180 www.carpenterbus.com 30


for greeting new students and parents to the campus. And, provide a space for a police station to provide security for the cam-


SEPTEMBER 2009 • PARKING TODAY • www.parkingtoday.com


pus and to rid the area of those illicit activities. Not only have the traditional uses


of parking facilities been changing, their design has been evolving as well. Many early campus garages were designed like typical office garages with park-on-ramp systems for maxi- mum efficiency and scissored ramp-


Every-man-for-himself parking was the norm.


ing, even when the garage was only 4 to 5 levels tall. However, with the many newprogramming requirements, the modern college garage can present design challenges that require new ideas and innovative solutions. Some comparisons follow: Traditional: The garage was


designed so that the maximum num- ber of spaces was crammed into a given footprint. Little thought was given to making the facility easy to use. Students sometimes wandered for (what seemed like) days in search of spaces, even if plenty were avail- able in the other parking circuit.Why do you think so many students drove big trucks back then? They were the only vehicles that could hold enough gas for the weekly parking search. Modern:While still being efficient


and inexpensive, garages also need to accommodate technology that will give users the closest/quickest route to an open parking space or even an open parking garage. Students have to get to class using their GPS-enabled phones exactlywhen the“bell rings.”Nowast- ed time is allowed. Traditional: Every-man-for-


himself parking was the norm. You got into the garage, you found a space, you parked. Modern: Now different areas are


often necessary for student, staff, and retail parking. As such, the garage’s overall design must reflect those requirements. Good luck trying to dis- sect a two-bay double helix into all of these differing uses.


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