Colleges and Universities Are Taking a Fresh Look at Campus Parking

Planning for Higher Education Journal | V42N2 January–March 2014
Jake Jeppesen and John Dorsett | 1
FE ATURE A RTI CL E
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.
CO L L EGES A ND UNI V ER SI T IES H AV E A LWAYS BEEN at the
Parking structures also lend themselves to promoting
forefront of innovation, and over the years they have been
solar energy. Parking garage rooftops provide platforms
responsible for numerous important scientific, technological,
for photovoltaic panel systems that can create energy for
and social advances. A notable area in which this spirit
use in powering the structure. If the photovoltaic arrays
of innovation is being embraced is campus parking.
are large enough, they may even be able to help power
Administrators and planners understand that parking is
adjacent university buildings. In addition to environmental
a necessary and valuable resource in helping institutions
advantages, these solar strategies can also provide financial
meet important goals, and colleges and universities are
advantages to an institution.
using parking to achieve a wide array of objectives, including
meeting financial challenges, improving the quality of life for
Today, electric vehicles finally seem poised to realize their
students, and promoting institutional values.
potential. Many of the world’s major car manufacturers
are introducing or developing electric vehicles, and plug-in
PRO M OTING 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.
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
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Planning for Higher Education Journal | V42N2 January–March 2014
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illuminate interiors during the day. Additionally, the use of
control equipment utilizes transponders attached to vehicles
high-efficiency fluorescent and LED-controlled lighting can
or parking cards that are swiped past a reader when entering
both be good for the environment and help reduce monthly
and leaving. By using appropriate access control equipment in
lighting costs by as much as 70 percent.
campus parking facilities, schools can automate their parking
systems, minimizing the need for enforcement officers to
The web is also improving lighting and air quality in parking
continually check vehicles to ensure that they are parked
structures. Web-based lighting control systems can be used
appropriately.
to automatically turn lights on and off throughout the day and
evening and offer auto-adjustment features to enable daylight
These “parking access and revenue control systems” (PARCS)
harvesting and reduced light levels or turn lights off when
can also offer administrative advantages. That’s because
no one is present in the structure. These systems can even
PARCS can provide reliable permit parking data that schools
include controls for improving ventilation management using
can use to reduce revenue loss resulting from parkers not
carbon monoxide sensors and specially pitched fan blades to
paying for parking or falling behind in their payments.
efficiently maintain safe air quality within the structure.
Another cutting-edge tool that can be particularly useful
Also, pay-on-foot and monthly pass programs require
for schools that host large sporting or entertainment events
parkers to pay for parking before they exit parking areas, thus
is bar code technology. When drivers use parking facilities
reducing the amount of carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and
that utilize bar code technology, they can pay for and print
carbon monoxide emitted by idling vehicles. This not only
their parking tickets at home before they even get into their
decreases pollution by reducing lines to exit parking facilities,
cars. When they arrive to park, the bar code they printed at
but also provides a better parking experience for students,
home is scanned by the access equipment and the gate opens.
faculty, and staff.
It’s an extremely convenient process for customers, and it
also streamlines parking management operations. Some
PARK ING’S TECHNOLO GY 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
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
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Planning for Higher Education Journal | V42N2 January–March 2014
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information can then be conveyed to parkers so that they
so that they can focus on their core mission of educating
don’t have to search for open spaces. A red/green/blue light
students.
can be added to easily identify every space as full, open, or
handicapped accessible without having to drive down the
Of course, it’s not unusual for universities to hire outside
aisle.
operators to manage their parking. Schools that rely
on parking operators represent a cross section of U.S.
Finally, breakthroughs in mobile technologies have led to
universities, from MIT to Harvard Medical School to George
what may be one of the most exciting new developments
Mason University. The advantages can be numerous. By
in parking. It’s now possible to set up a Pay-by-Cell phone
hiring parking management professionals, universities
system, allowing customers to pay for parking via their cell
can often enjoy more efficient and cost-effective parking
phone. After parking at a metered parking space that uses
operations.
this technology, parkers can receive a text alert advising them
that their time is about to expire. The alert can also provide
Privatization is the next step in the evolution of campus
them with the option to purchase more time.
parking management, and it is already a hot trend in the
municipal parking world. Cities are finding that by leasing
Some of these mobile payment technologies are also paired
their parking operations to outside companies they can raise
with cloud-based technological platforms to streamline
millions of dollars that can be used to fund vital initiatives.
enforcement and day-to-day management of parking services.
While this model is just beginning to gain traction in higher
These cloud-based tools provide enforcement officers and
education—The Ohio State University is the pioneer in this
parking administrators with instant access to utilization data,
regard—many colleges and universities are looking into
which makes the enforcement process much more accurate
privatization or partnerships with outside operators as a
and helps parking administrators better manage their
way to both raise revenue and streamline their parking
parking resources.
operations.
There are also a number of mobile apps available that enable
This approach promises the same benefits to universities
drivers to keep track of where parking is available—and in
that it offers cities. By partnering with a private operator,
some cases reserve parking—via their smart phones. Some
institutions can raise important revenues that can be used
of these apps even send drivers text messages advising
for educational initiatives, capital programs, or any other
them when a particular facility is full and directing them to
area that’s important to the college or university. The revenue
alternate parking.
can be obtained in one up-front lump sum, or the university
can negotiate a deal that permits it to share ongoing parking
L E VER AGING THE A SSET
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
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.
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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 BI O GR APHIES
JA K E JEPPESEN A ND J O HN D O R SE T T are principals with
Walker Parking Consultants. Jake Jeppesen can be reached at
[email protected] and John Dorsett can be
reached at [email protected].
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Planning for Higher Education Journal | V42N2 January–March 2014
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