In this day and age, one of the biggest problems that universities face is parking. More and more students are living off campus, and they need to commute to class. If you’re struggling with providing enough parking lot space on a daily basis, here are some ways that you can alleviate the problem.
Encourage Use of Public Transport
This is the first step you should take, and it can work very well in certain circumstances. If you’re struggling to meet demand for parking spaces, then you’ll need to find a way to reduce the number of cars coming in.
Encourage your students to use public transport to get to classes instead. There are lots of benefits for them when they do this, and you can emphasize those benefits.
For example, they’ll save money on gas, can get extra reading done when they’re on their way, and it’s less stressful.
However, you do need to consider whether or not it’s easy to get to campus on public transport. “Transport links in different cities vary wildly,” says James Sutherland, a writer at Elite Assignment Help and Revieweal. “While some cities have excellent transport links, others may not have links anywhere near the campus.”
If the links are good though, there are many ways to encourage the use of public transport. Offering subsidized travel passes will go a long way, as students are always looking for ways to save money.
Set Up a Carpooling System
Carpooling is another good way to reduce the number of cars coming into your parking lots. When students are giving each other rides, that reduces pressure on you to provide as much parking.
Like public transport, you’ll want to find ways to encourage this, too.
For example, you can create an online carpooling board, where students can find a ride when they need one. It’s a quick and easy way to get a ride to campus, and it helps students to reduce their reliance on cars for getting to class. You can incentivize it further, by giving carpooling cars the best parking spots in the lot, too.
Set Up Campus for Cycling
Some students will always bike to school, but if you want to reduce the number of cars in the lot, you’ll want to start encouraging this practice further.
Many campuses offer shower facilities for those who cycle, so they can wash up before heading to class.
You can also ensure there’s better parking and security for bikes. Add plenty of bike racks in high security areas, where they’re overlooked.
You can add cameras, too, to ensure there’s extra security. Placing a weatherproof roof over the racks also makes it more pleasant to retrieve a bike and ride home at the end of the day.
Emphasize Eco-Friendly Travel
All the above options have benefits, but one that you’ll want to focus on is the eco-friendly aspect. “Many students these days are very aware of their effect on the environment,” says Carla Acaster, an editor with Custom Writing and Ukservicesreviews. “As such, you can show them just how much of an impact they make if they don’t drive in.”
You can do this by encouraging all the above methods, as well as showing students how many pollutants they’re saving from being put into the environment.
Having these visual reminders around campus and online will go a long way.
Improve Parking Efficiency
Many campuses do have adequate parking for their students, but they aren’t able to utilize it effectively.
You can make the most of the space you have by implementing new parking technology. This includes things like parking spot sensors, displays, live gateways, and more.
With these advances, you can see exactly how much space is being used, and direct students to clear spots when they arrive.
This helps ensure that all available space is used efficiently.
There are lots of ways you can alleviate the pressure on your campus for parking.
With these tips, you can reduce the number of cars coming in, and use the space you do have appropriately.
Madeline Miller is a writer at Essayroo and Lia Help. She writes about university management and administration. She can be reached at madeline.u.miller@gmail.com
