When the school decides to build some new classrooms, a research center, or a dorm on a parking lot, they often don’t consider the problem that during construction, if not after, those spaces go away. Read all about losing 1000 spaces at the University of Arizona.
This problem is not unique. It goes to "net" parking spaces. Let’s assume that they are building a new wing of the hospital on a 500 car parking lot. There will be a 600 car garage under the new facility. OH, we say, we will have 600 spaces when the construction is finished.
Not so, you will have 100 spaces when the construction is finished. The 500 were already there. And most likely, the folks using the new facility will generate more than the Net increase in parking so you are fighting and uphill battle. Worrying about parking during construction is a temporary problem, the result is a permanent issue.
The parking management folks go through three years of hell while construction is going on, and then when the garage opens, they find the hell is just beginning.
As grandchildren of boomers come of college age, more and more facilities will be needed. And that scarce parking will be used for those facilities. What is a poor parking manager to do?
Solve the problem the old fashioned way. Charge more for parking. Get rid of all that hierarchy and political nonsense and charge for parking as people use parking. You will find that miraculously more space will appear, trips to the campus will be reduced, and all will be right with the world.
JVH
3 Responses
Yes, sir. You are right on the mark.
Sorry, you are wrong. 500 spaces now with a total of 600 spaces after construction means there are 600 spaces after construction. It is an increase of 100 spaces.
I think you were trying to imply that there was going to be an increase of 600 spaces after construction which is indeed not correct.
Right — to be clear, I meant to say 100 ADDITIONAL spaces. Jeff read it as I intended, Scott is rightly looking for clarity.
JVH