Colleges and Universities Are Taking a Fresh Look at Campus Parking

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1 Planning for Higher Education Journal V42N2 January March 2014 Jake Jeppesen and John Dorsett 1 FEATURE ARTICLE Colleges and Universities Are Taking a Fresh Look at Campus Parking by Jake Jeppesen and John Dorsett Parking resources can play a vital role in advancing the campus mission of becoming a better environmental steward. COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN at the forefront of innovation, and over the years they have been responsible for numerous important scientific, technological, and social advances. A notable area in which this spirit of innovation is being embraced is campus parking. Administrators and planners understand that parking is a necessary and valuable resource in helping institutions meet important goals, and colleges and universities are using parking to achieve a wide array of objectives, including meeting financial challenges, improving the quality of life for students, and promoting institutional values. PROMOTING VALUES One of the most important legacies of the higher education community is its pioneering role in the sustainability movement. In recent years, colleges and universities have found that their parking resources can play a vital role in advancing the campus mission of becoming a better environmental steward. There are a number of parking design features, both active and passive, that institutions are using to promote sustainability. One of the most intriguing and simplest is the introduction of solar carports in surface parking lots. Solar carports are simply canopies outfitted with photovoltaic panels that are positioned over parking spaces. In addition to producing solar electricity, they also provide shade for vehicles parked beneath them. Parking structures also lend themselves to promoting solar energy. Parking garage rooftops provide platforms for photovoltaic panel systems that can create energy for use in powering the structure. If the photovoltaic arrays are large enough, they may even be able to help power adjacent university buildings. In addition to environmental advantages, these solar strategies can also provide financial advantages to an institution. Today, electric vehicles finally seem poised to realize their potential. Many of the world s major car manufacturers are introducing or developing electric vehicles, and plug-in hybrids are also under development. But for electric vehicles to truly catch on there needs to be a place to charge them, and parking facilities provide an obvious solution. It is relatively simple to add electric vehicle charging (EVC) stations to the design of a new parking structure or lot, and they can also be added as part of a retrofit of an existing facility (although infrastructure modifications are often required with retrofits). We are still in the infancy of EVC development. As new technological breakthroughs continue to be introduced, it will become even more attractive for campuses to include EVC stations in their facilities. Finally, there are a number of basic parking design approaches that many campuses use to promote sustainability. For instance, precast window openings and light cores that run from the roof to the bottom level of the parking structure let in natural light, reducing the need to

2 Planning for Higher Education Journal V42N2 January March 2014 Jake Jeppesen and John Dorsett 2 illuminate interiors during the day. Additionally, the use of high-efficiency fluorescent and LED-controlled lighting can both be good for the environment and help reduce monthly lighting costs by as much as 70 percent. The web is also improving lighting and air quality in parking structures. Web-based lighting control systems can be used to automatically turn lights on and off throughout the day and evening and offer auto-adjustment features to enable daylight harvesting and reduced light levels or turn lights off when no one is present in the structure. These systems can even include controls for improving ventilation management using carbon monoxide sensors and specially pitched fan blades to efficiently maintain safe air quality within the structure. Also, pay-on-foot and monthly pass programs require parkers to pay for parking before they exit parking areas, thus reducing the amount of carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide emitted by idling vehicles. This not only decreases pollution by reducing lines to exit parking facilities, but also provides a better parking experience for students, faculty, and staff. PARKING S TECHNOLOGY AGE Universities have traditionally been technological hubs. Technology plays an important role in campus life, from the classroom to the dorm. Parking is no different. In fact, there are a host of technologies that are being used on college and university campuses to both improve the parking experience for students and staff and make parking easier and more cost effective to manage. And, new parking technologies are regularly being introduced. Most students, faculty, and staff use monthly, semester, or annual passes for parking rather than paying daily fees. For monthly parking, colleges and universities may want to use access control equipment to permit parkers to enter and leave parking facilities quickly and conveniently. Typically, access control equipment utilizes transponders attached to vehicles or parking cards that are swiped past a reader when entering and leaving. By using appropriate access control equipment in campus parking facilities, schools can automate their parking systems, minimizing the need for enforcement officers to continually check vehicles to ensure that they are parked appropriately. These parking access and revenue control systems (PARCS) can also offer administrative advantages. That s because PARCS can provide reliable permit parking data that schools can use to reduce revenue loss resulting from parkers not paying for parking or falling behind in their payments. Another cutting-edge tool that can be particularly useful for schools that host large sporting or entertainment events is bar code technology. When drivers use parking facilities that utilize bar code technology, they can pay for and print their parking tickets at home before they even get into their cars. When they arrive to park, the bar code they printed at home is scanned by the access equipment and the gate opens. It s an extremely convenient process for customers, and it also streamlines parking management operations. Some universities hold sporting events that are attended by tens of thousands to over 100,000 fans. Technologies like bar code equipment can minimize the amount of time it takes to move parkers in and out of parking facilities and at the same time collect valuable parking data that can be used for future event parking planning. New parking guidance technologies that tie directly to access control systems can also be beneficial for larger institutions with structured parking, particularly those in urban settings. Sensors and/or closed circuit cameras monitor usage on parking decks to determine where open spaces are available. That information is then wirelessly communicated and displayed via LED signage at facility entrances and on individual floors so that drivers can be directed to areas with open parking. Some structures even have sensors at each parking stall to keep track of which spaces are open. That

3 Planning for Higher Education Journal V42N2 January March 2014 Jake Jeppesen and John Dorsett 3 information can then be conveyed to parkers so that they don t have to search for open spaces. A red/green/blue light can be added to easily identify every space as full, open, or handicapped accessible without having to drive down the aisle. Finally, breakthroughs in mobile technologies have led to what may be one of the most exciting new developments in parking. It s now possible to set up a Pay-by-Cell phone system, allowing customers to pay for parking via their cell phone. After parking at a metered parking space that uses this technology, parkers can receive a text alert advising them that their time is about to expire. The alert can also provide them with the option to purchase more time. Some of these mobile payment technologies are also paired with cloud-based technological platforms to streamline enforcement and day-to-day management of parking services. These cloud-based tools provide enforcement officers and parking administrators with instant access to utilization data, which makes the enforcement process much more accurate and helps parking administrators better manage their parking resources. so that they can focus on their core mission of educating students. Of course, it s not unusual for universities to hire outside operators to manage their parking. Schools that rely on parking operators represent a cross section of U.S. universities, from MIT to Harvard Medical School to George Mason University. The advantages can be numerous. By hiring parking management professionals, universities can often enjoy more efficient and cost-effective parking operations. Privatization is the next step in the evolution of campus parking management, and it is already a hot trend in the municipal parking world. Cities are finding that by leasing their parking operations to outside companies they can raise millions of dollars that can be used to fund vital initiatives. While this model is just beginning to gain traction in higher education The Ohio State University is the pioneer in this regard many colleges and universities are looking into privatization or partnerships with outside operators as a way to both raise revenue and streamline their parking operations. There are also a number of mobile apps available that enable drivers to keep track of where parking is available and in some cases reserve parking via their smart phones. Some of these apps even send drivers text messages advising them when a particular facility is full and directing them to alternate parking. LEVERAGING THE ASSET We are on the cusp of a new trend that could become prominent in the coming years: partnerships between universities and private parking operators that enable institutions to turn over their parking operations to companies that specialize in operating parking systems This approach promises the same benefits to universities that it offers cities. By partnering with a private operator, institutions can raise important revenues that can be used for educational initiatives, capital programs, or any other area that s important to the college or university. The revenue can be obtained in one up-front lump sum, or the university can negotiate a deal that permits it to share ongoing parking revenues with the operator. School administrators should craft deals around the school s and its students unique needs. These partnerships provide an excellent example of how colleges and universities can use parking as a valuable resource to promote their greater mission. By partnering with a private operator, institutions can raise important revenues that can be used for educational initiatives.

4 Planning for Higher Education Journal V42N2 January March 2014 Jake Jeppesen and John Dorsett 4 A VALUABLE RESOURCE Parking has always been a valuable asset for colleges and universities. It provides an important source of revenue and a way to improve the quality of life on campus. Today, school administrators and planners are also realizing that parking can play an important role in promoting their institutions values. The greening of campus parking, the implementation of new technologies, and the emerging trend of parking management partnerships are three of the most significant approaches employed by colleges and universities to fully realize the potential of their parking resources. AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES JAKE JEPPESEN AND JOHN DORSETT are principals with Walker Parking Consultants. Jake Jeppesen can be reached at jake.jeppesen@walkerparking.com and John Dorsett can be reached at john.dorsett@walkerparking.com.

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6 Planning for Higher Education Journal V42N2 January March 2014 ii Planning for Higher Education Society for College and University Planning by the Society for College and University Planning All rights reserved. Published ISSN Indexed in the Current Index to Journals in Education (ERIC), Higher Education Abstracts, and Contents Pages in Education. Also available from ProQuest Information and Learning, 789 E. Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, Michigan ABOUT PLANNING FOR HIGHER EDUCATION JOURNAL Planning for Higher Education is a publication of the Society for College and University Planning, an association of professionals devoted to planning at academic institutions. This journal seeks to transmit the knowledge, ideas, research, and experience most likely to advance the practice of higher education planning and policy making. SCUP members receive a complimentary subscription. The society offers both individual and institutional group memberships. For contributor guidelines, subscription information, or permission to share from the journal, visit or contact managing.editor@scup.org. Correspondence about membership should be sent to membership@scup.org. ABOUT THE SOCIETY FOR COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY PLANNING (SCUP) The Society for College and University Planning is a community of higher education planning professionals that provides its members with the knowledge and resources to establish and achieve institutional planning goals within the context of best practices and emerging trends. For more information, visit WHAT IS INTEGRATED PLANNING? Integrated planning is the linking of vision, priorities, people, and the physical institution in a flexible system of evaluation, decisionmaking and action. It shapes and guides the entire organization as it evolves over time and within its community. ADVERTISING IN THE JOURNAL Thank you to the organizations that have chosen to advertise with SCUP in this publication. Please remember to consider these organizations when you are looking for additional planning services. Interested in advertising with SCUP? Please visit advertise or contact advertise@scup.org.

7 What is INTEGRATED PLANNING? Integrated planning is the linking of vision, priorities, people, and the physical institution in a flexible system of evaluation, decision-making and action. It shapes and guides the entire organization as it evolves over time and within its community. Core Competencies for INTEGRATED PLANNING Integrated planning might not solve every problem on campus, but it is sure to provide a solution to the most important issues. To be effective, and for you as a campus leader to be successful, everyone who plans on your campus needs the six core competencies below. E N G A G E T H E RIGHT PEOPLE Identify the people who need to be in the room and work with them effectively. SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE Create and use a common planning vocabulary for communicating. KNOW HOW TO MANAGE A PLANNING PROCESS Facilitate an integrated planning process and manage change. PRODUCE A SHARED PLAN Produce an integrated plan that can be implemented and evaluated. R E A D T H E PLANNING CONTEXT Collect and filter relevant information. G A T H E R A N D DEPLOY RESOURCES Identify alternative and realistic resource strategies. Whether you are new to the field or an experienced professional, you will find the SCUP Planning Institute is a concrete way to create an effective network of planning colleagues, learn best practices, and grow in your career. BRING THE BENEFITS OF INTEGRATED PLANNING TO YOUR CAMPUS: All three steps of the SCUP Planning Institute can be brought to your campus to help you save costs. profdev@scup.org for details.