Campus parking has been a perennial problem for students and faculty, and it’s not looking to get easier anytime soon.
A new residence hall in the works, as well as a continued push for students and faculty to find alternate means of transportation, will mean fewer spaces, higher prices and farther distances for those determined to keep driving.
The yet-to-be-named East Campus Residence Hall Project, which is still in the design stage, is slated to be built on the current site of the parking lot behind the Knight Law Center on 15th Avenue and Moss Street — the last large parking lot on campus.
Currently, there is a total of 3,101 parking spaces in 65 University lots for students, faculty and staff, including metered and assigned parking. That means there is only one parking spot available for every 8.6 students, faculty andstaff members.
The new hall would displace 329 of those spaces, and the Knight Arena currently under construction has taken over what was another large parking lot.
However, any parking spots lost must be replaced, said Gregg Lobisser, director of student activities and chair of the Campus Planning Committee. Lobisser said the committee is working on relocating the spots.
“There is a small work group that is working on scenarios to replace all parking spaces that will be lost,” Lobisser said. “We will present a solution for review. The hard part is finding the spaces and paying for them.”
Most displaced spots on campus end up being replaced with off-campus metered parking.
However, the reduction in parking is also part of the University’s long-term plan to reduce carbon emissions and incentivize sustainable behavior.
According to the University Office of Sustainability, commuting now only makes up 7 percent of the University’s carbon emissions. University Sustainability Director Steve Mital called the low rate of commuting “a success story.”
Mital said only 11 percent of students drive to campus. He said “the relatively high cost of parking and the small amount of available spaces” serve to discourage faculty and
students from driving.
But according to the Department of Public Safety, parking prices are not exorbitantly high, at least compared to those at other Pac-10 schools. In fact, the only school in the Pac-10 that has cheaper parking across the board is Oregon State University.
2006 survey of student transportation habits conducted by the University Office of Public Safety found that six out of ten students’ primary means of travel to or from campus didn’t involve a vehicle; nearly a quarter walked, 22 percent rode the LTD bus and 15
percent rode a bike.
The University has also started a WeCar program that allows students to rent a hybrid car for hourly, daily or overnight use.
But for some students, where there is a will to drive, there is always a way.
“I buy a permit from Sacred Heart (Medical Center at East 13th Avenue and Hilyard Street) every month because parking on campus is next to impossible,” University student Nicole Bass said.
Nevertheless, Mital believes the University has been successful in changing student and faculty behavior.
“The reality is that only 11 percent of students drive to campus,” Mital said. “What that suggests is that we’ve done a really good job. We’ve more or less tackled the problem.”
[email protected]
New dorm would reduce parking spots on campus
Daily Emerald
November 19, 2009
0
More to Discover