UCSD students, like those of any university in a city, have complained so much about parking for so long that there never seemed to be anything new to say. Anyone who has outlived their two years of guaranteed housing knows all the old complaints. In fact, numerous Facebook groups are dedicated to griping about such things as how much it sucks to find a spot on campus at 11:25 a.m. on a Monday.
A number of changes to UCSD’s parking and transportation system are aimed at improving all that. Brian d’Autremont, the new director of Transportation and Parking Services, has only been at UCSD for 10 months, but his new programs are already garnering impressive results.
Students probably already know about one program: the plan to offer discounts for site-specific permits for the East Campus lots. Because of their distance from campus, these lots are rarely filled to capacity. To get a feel for how many people might be interested in such a program, the department sent out a mass e-mail on Oct. 20 to staff and faculty. By 1 p.m. that day, hundreds of people had already e-mailed in reply. Due to the positive reply, d’Autremont expects to be able to move 1,200 staff spots off of main campus, freeing those spots up to be reassigned for student parking.
The San Diego public transportation system is undergoing a series of changes, as well. Not only do students, faculty and staff have access to 38 additional miles of free Metropolitan Transit System routes, but negotiations are currently under way with North County Transit to try to expand the route even further. On top of those changes, there are discussions about creating multiple shuttle lines so that the ride is shorter, fewer buses are used and buses don’t repeatedly fill up before reaching the complexes closer to school.
“On average, a student who uses the free bus route instead of driving a car to campus will save $4,000, on top of not buying a permit,” said d’Autremont, referring to the costs of gas and car maintenance over an entire school year.
But perhaps the most interesting program, and one that few students seem to be aware of, is the Flex Car program. For $9 an hour, which includes gas and insurance, students, faculty and staff can reserve one of the eight cars parked on or near campus.
Unlike most rental car companies which require renters be at least 25 years of age and are thus inaccessible to most students, Flex Car is available to 18- to 21-year-olds. If the program succeeds, students who live on campus could leave their cars at home but still maintain mobility in case of emergencies, freeing up parking spaces that currently seem permanently occupied for commuter students. But anyone within reach of the campus, or the free bus zone, could also use these cars and avoid the hassle and cost of owning their own car.
“We’re the only campus in the country that has both the Flex Car and the Enterprise Rent-a-Car program,” d’Autremont said. Both services are available to all students, regardless of age.
Arguably, these programs have contributed to the parking office selling 1,000 fewer permits than expected this year. Some of those who did not purchase a permit are likely new students who opted out of bringing their car to campus, but at least 350 students who bought permits last year are instead using alternate forms of transportation, such as the free bus route, according to d’Autremont.
He also cited the 200 students who have joined the Rideshare program as a positive step in further reducing the number of cars taking up “S” spots on campus. The Rideshare program is an amalgamation of ideas that include offering reduced-price permits to students who carpool to school together, and awarding 10-day permits and free rentals of the Flex Car to students in the Pedal Club (students who bike to school) and the Transit Coaster Club.
This decrease in the amount of permits sold and the 100 visitor spaces now available at Thornton Hospital have saved $4.6 million that UCSD had expected to spend in order to build another parking structure, a result that d’Autremont is very happy with.
“My goal is to never have to build another parking structure,” d’Autremont said. He’s adamant in his claim that the money, and that land, should instead be used for academic purposes. “Because that’s the reason we’re all here,” he said.
