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Meeting the Challenges of Parking

Here are resources, including links to college and university parking Web pages, and information available at the International Parking Institute.

By Mary-Jane Atwater

The expectation that campus parking will be available, convenient, and virtually free often leads to heated discussions, especially at academic institutions facing soaring enrollment or rapid expansion. To see how other college and university business officers have addressed this issue, read "Flag Transportation Fixes" in the January 2011 issue of Business Officer and check out these online resources.

No Cash Needed

Deducting parking fees from prepaid cards, which often double as student identification cards, minimizes exit times and lines at parking facilities.  

• GWorld Debit Card, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
• StarCard, Lansing Community College, Lansing, Michigan

On the Web

Institutional Web pages offer a wealth of information on parking rules and fees, lot locations and capacities, and transportation alternatives.

• Boise State University
• George Washington University
• University of Colorado at Boulder
• University of Kentucky, Lexington
• University of Oklahoma, Norman
• University of Vermont, Burlington
• The International Parking Institute (IPI) offers numerous resources on parking, including a newsletter, a monthly magazine, and an annual conference and exposition.

Through the association, says Cindy Campbell, IPI's chair, "College and university business officers will find a wealth of information about parking issues." Campbell, associate director of university police, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, adds: "Topics include security, new technologies, facility design and construction, enforcement strategies, and sensitive subjects such as suicide prevention."

Getting Social

Social networking applications can quickly get the word out about current traffic conditions and new parking programs.

• Videos about Zipcar and parking passes, Boise State University
• Facebook page of Rutgers University, New Jersey
• Twitter feed, University of Kentucky
• Twitter feed, University of Oklahoma
• Video about Fast Pass, University of Texas at San Antonio

MARY-JANE ATWATER, Alexandria, Virginia, covers parking and transportation issues for Business Officer.