Is University Parking a Common Grievance?
By DavidW. Burr
Many college students, faculty and support staff would certainly find Clark Kerr’s words to be painfully true. The
former President of the University of California once wrote, “I have sometimes thought of the modern [U.S.] university as a series of individual faculty entrepreneurs held together by a com- mon grievance over parking.” Without a doubt, parking is one of the most widespread and
frustrating problems afflicting U.S. colleges and universities. Rising enrollment numbers are one of the main reasons that so many institutions are facing parking shortages. Enrollment jumped from 14.5 million to 18.2 million between 1997 and 2007, putting a severe strain on a service that’s already at the breaking point. One could also point to how today’s students are products of
conduct comprehensive analyses of their parking and transporta- tion management systems.With the proper information, planners could not only make a longstanding college headache a thing of the past, but make a campus safer and healthier, as well as improve its sense of community and space.
Effective planning Using the data from such an analysis, a parking planner can
create an effective way to address an institution’s transportation and parking shortfalls. The data should include: • Parking supply inventories detailed by assignment (facul-
ty/staff, resident/commuter student, service vehicle, handicap accessible, reserved, metered parking, etc.).
32 • Class schedules and student enrollment numbers by
semester. • Information from online surveys and focus group inter-
views of students, faculty and staff. • On- and off-street occupancy counts between certain hours
of the day. • Traffic constraints at critical intersections.
A parking and transporta-
Universities need to conduct comprehensive analyses of their parking and transportation management systems.
a “car culture” that urges them to drive to destinations when walking will often suffice. To combat the shortages, colleges and universities need to
tion plan will have several core components. One is how effi- ciently parking facilities link up with nearby pathways. The amount of parking that can be provided near academic build- ings is limited by the proximity of adjacent buildings, desire for green space or campus master plans that have other intentions
for the available land. This means that pedestrian paths must effi- ciently move students, faculty and support staff from parking areas to their campus destinations. Improving the circulation of these paths, as well as eliminat-
ing any pedestrian/vehicular conflicts, involves improved sight lines and signage. Landscaping, shade-providing trees, covered walkways and sufficient lighting also can enhance the pedestri- an experience. If it is a pleasant one, people will easily walk 15 to 20 minutes. Bicycle paths also can be effective in moving individuals
from parking sites to campus buildings. They often feature a number of amenities: conveniently located bike racks, rental bike lockers and links to regional bicycle networks. Abike path won’t be truly effective, however, unless there’s consistency in where it runs. For example, a bike path along the curb lanes of roadways that switches to a sidewalk or pedestrian path will only create confusion for riders and potential conflicts with pedestrians.
Parking Today
www.parkingtoday.com
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