UW finalizes parking plan

The university has finalized an array of new parking policies for this fall, designed to decrease campus demand on a shrinking supply of parking stalls.

With about 11,000 stalls, UW–Madison has the fewest stalls per capita in the Big Ten. At any one time, about 200 employees are on waiting lists for annual parking assignments, a problem that is expected to worsen as new building projects and ramp construction temporarily eliminate parking stalls over the next five years.

Though new parking ramps are being planned, geographical limitations and the high cost of building parking ramps — estimated at $20,000 to $30,000 per stall — make it unlikely that the parking supply will ever match demand.

“There is little we can do to create more parking on this campus,” Chancellor John Wiley says. “But we can provide incentives for commuters to try other forms of transportation, and we can rationalize the way we use existing parking space.”

New rates

To help pay for new ramps and low-cost parking alternatives for the campus community, Wiley and transportation officials have finalized a plan that brings parking rates closer to what local and state government employees are charged for downtown parking.

Annual parking permits will fall into three categories: $400 ($1.68 per workday), $650 ($2.73/day) and $990 ($4.16/day). By comparison, downtown employees parking in lots such as the State Street/Capitol Ramp pay $1,128 annually ($4.75/day).

The cheapest campus lots were originally proposed to cost $450, but the chancellor scaled back the increase to help accommodate the university’s lowest-paid employees. In addition, the chancellor wants to reduce the influence of individual salaries on lot assignments.

“To help alleviate the burden on those earning lower wages, I am directing departments to prioritize parking so that those employees are given an opportunity to choose cheaper lots,” Wiley says.

At the chancellor’s direction, Transportation Services has begun studying a fee structure for 2003-04 that is scaled by ability-to-pay. If the university implements a percentage of salary pricing structure, employees with the lowest salaries would pay the cheapest rates.

Inexpensive alternatives

The university will use new revenue from parking fees to build new parking and subsidize a series of commuting alternatives in an effort to further alleviate demand for parking.

Transportation Services has reached a tentative agreement with Madison Metro to provide free Madison Metro bus passes — similar to those currently available to students — to UW–Madison faculty and staff. The passes will allow faculty and staff to ride any Madison Metro bus, any time or day of the week.

Another program in the final stages of development will add an additional lot to the UW Park and Rides program. Like the existing UW Park and Ride lot at the UW Research Park, participants can park their cars at a cost of $162 annually (68 cents/day) and catch a shuttle to various locations on campus.

Final details of both plans will be announced later in the spring.

Additionally, Transportation Services is increasing capacity on the free campus bus service, increasing the number of campus bicycle lockers and upgrading the Lakeshore Bike Path.

Other permit changes

In the past, UW–Madison had excess parking that was not being used, freeing up enough space to provide free emeritus and business alternate permits. However, rapid campus expansion is changing that. Lots like 60 and 62, which used to be on the outskirts of campus, are now considered prime parking locations.

“The campus demand for parking is so high, and space is so limited, we must find ways to make optimal use of the space we do have,” says Lance Lunsway, Transportation Services director.

To further reduce demand on these and other lots, the university is eliminating or reducing the availability of several types of permits. Planned changes will:

• Require those with emeritus status to apply and pay for the same pool of parking permits that are available to other faculty and staff. However, emeriti may pick up free temporary permits from one of the Transportation Services offices when space is available. They may also use temporary or departmental permits issued to departments, when available.
• Reduce the number of business alternates allowed from four to one.
• Eliminate after-hour permits, to increase general lot access after 4:30 p.m.
• Reduce categories of lot enforcement times from 23 to four, making it easier for commuters to determine when a permit is needed to use a lot.

Wiley and transportation officials plan meetings with UW Hospital staff to determine how to best address parking for those staff members whose work schedules require special parking arrangements

New application process

In an effort to make the issuance of parking assignments more efficient on the UW–Madison campus, permit applications will be handled online this spring.

“It will be quicker and easier for our customers to apply for and receive permits,” Lunsway says. “Also, eliminating much of the paper and paper-shuffling will help us control costs and improve the quality of our service.”

In the past, faculty, staff and students were given application forms, which they filled out by hand and returned. Transportation Services then mailed lot assignments to customers. After customers claimed their assignments, permits were mailed.

This year, Transportation Services will e-mail logon IDs and personal passwords to customers in late April. Customers then have a little more than a month to fill out an online application. Customers can expect to receive a parking assignment notification via e-mail in late July.

The deadlines for each step of the process are:

• April 29: Logon IDs and passwords will be e-mailed to customers who are re-applying for a permit. New applicants should contact their unit parking coordinators for instructions.
• May 31: Deadline to apply for parking.
• July 23: Parking assignments e-mailed to customers. Customers then go online to claim and pay for parking assignments. Permits are received within 10 days.
• Aug. 23: Deadline to claim parking assignments. Unclaimed assignments are offered to customers on waiting lists.
• Sept. 3: New permits must be displayed on vehicles.