Parking Improvement Recommendations
1. Parking stickers will be eliminated, and one hangtag parking permit will be issued to each user. This will allow for better tracking of users and easier registration. We anticipate requiring biannual registration; parking users will be able to update vehicle information electronically at any time. Discussion will continue as to whether parking fees will be charged to faculty and staff in subsequent years. This is in part due to the city postponing the installation of meters on High St. that was scheduled for this summer.
2.Develop a strategy to increase the efficient use of available spaces by parking zone assignment. By designating zones (flexible permitting) for each vehicle during biannual vehicle registration, Public Safety will be better equipped to avoid oversaturation in certain lots while other lots remain underused. Efforts will be made to provide employees a zone offering a choice of lots in reasonable proximity to their office. Flexible permitting will create a larger pool of parking spaces and is expected to even out occupancy across campus.
3.Increase enforcement of regulations campus-wide to ensure lots are not used by persons not assigned to those lots. Identification of violators would be greatly expedited by the use of hangtag permits. Owners will choose which vehicle to assign a hangtag. Unregistered student, faculty and staff vehicles will be identified by checking license plates against a vehicle plate database available from a national vendor. We will require faculty/staff to update vehicle information within two weeks of any changes. The maintenance of up-to-date information is critical to managing the database and assuring better informed parking space allocation.
4.Require all graduate and undergraduate students to register their vehicles to park anywhere on campus property, including driveways. Student parking will be limited to student lots ONLY – 24/7/365. This measure would complement the overall strategy of centralizing parking distribution throughout campus and creating a more environmentally sustainable campus by encouraging walking. It would also allow Public Safety to allocate spaces during late night hours to vendor/contractor services concerned with walking safety.
5.Establish a uniform closing time for all faculty/staff lots (1 AM). This will ensure better lot maintenance, snow removal and easier overnight enforcement. Expand the number of official visitor spaces in the Admission lot, Vine St. lot and areas adjacent to the tennis courts.
6.Establish a parking appeals board to include faculty, staff and students. This board would hear appeals from citations and would also recommend improvements to parking operations. This process will provide a diverse group of campus community members to review parking operations. Require that undergraduate and graduate students and faculty/staff pay for parking citations that were not resolved through appeal.
7.Review and improve consistency of parking regulations and information distributed by various offices. Have a separate regulation information page for students, graduate students and faculty/staff. Orientation sessions should include parking information.
8.Discourage first-year students from bringing their vehicles to campus by requiring those who have a significant need to file an appeal explaining the need to park a vehicle. Parking for freshmen would be available only in Vine Street/ Cady Lots, subject to availability. This policy would create additional spaces for faculty and staff. This procedure will be implemented starting in Fall 2018, and will continue prohibiting freshmen parking in subsequent years unless successfully appealed on an individual case basis.
9.Enhance communication and coordination between Admissions, Public Safety and other offices to assure that visitors obtain a permit for the day to park on campus. The current system is not used consistently.