A Day in the Life at the University of B By Danny Ho
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is no dif-
ferent from most in that parking services have traditionally been ancillary to the university. Given the economic conditions and challenges that face all post-sec- ondary institutions, universities are forced to seek the greatest possible return. They are, howev- er, very different from other parking agencies such as munici- palities and commercial entities in that the university’s parking customers are also members of its community and population: the students, faculty and staff. The UBC, on picturesque
Point Grey on the west side of Vancouver, Canada, boasts a spectacular natural setting. Stu- dents, faculty and staff come from all over the world to be a part of the UBC community and have a unique and memo- rable experience. When I first joined the UBC community in 1990, there
University of British Columbia’s Rose Garden Parking Facility. Currently, about 15% of students live on campus; the other
weren’t many transportation options. Secluded in a natural envi- ronment about 10 kilometers from city center, the UBC Vancou- ver campus is less accessible than most downtown universities. Although public transit served UBC in the 1990s, bus service was sporadic, and as a result, most people studying and working on campus drove there daily. In those days, more than 15,000 commuter parking stalls
were available. Today, despite increased enrollment and a growing number of faculty and staff (daytime population more than 65,000), there are only 9,000 commuter parking stalls on campus, a decrease of 40% over a 20-year period. The landscape, both
85% are required to commute. The introduction of the U-Pass (discounted universal bus
physically and socio-economi- cally, has changed, and over recent years the UBC has been working with Metro Vancou- ver’s transit authority and the UBC community to provide a variety of sustainable, efficient commuting options that will allow community members to “leave their cars at home.” One goal of the UBC Sustainability Initiative is to “make
The inability to provide “complimentary” or inexpensive parking on campus could become a lightning rod that overshadows the benefits that come with working and studying here.
(the) UBC a living laboratory in environmental sustainability by combining its sustainability leadership in teaching, research, and operations.” To this end, the university is endeavouring to become carbon-neutral; reducing the number of people commut- ing each day is a crucial component of meeting that goal.
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pass for students) in 2004 has resulted in an increase in transit rid- ership from 25% to 50% of commuting students.With the univer- sity’s plan to build additional student housing, it is anticipated that 50% of students will live on campus. Moreover, residential communities – which include rental housing for students, faculty and staff – continue to be developed on university- owned lands. Cycling and walking
routes on and near campus also encourage UBC commu- nity members to make more sustainable transportation choices. This shift toward inte-
grated living, working and studying environments and sustainable practices has wide-reaching implications for the future of parking at the
UBC. The continued development of the campus into a universi- ty town limits parking and favors the designation of parking stalls for carpools, car-sharing and low-emission vehicles. Also, the reduced number of commuting students will support the con- tinued reduction of parking stalls on campus. The UBC seeks to attract topnotch faculty and staff. The
inability to provide “complimentary” or inexpensive parking on campus could become a lightning rod that overshadows many of
Parking Today
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