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Category: Diamond Ring University
of Washington,
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Parking
management foundation of UW CTR program
The University of Washington has been making news for
years because of its extensive U-PASS program, which
since its inception in 1991 has reduced single occupancy
vehicle trips to campus by 26%. The U-PASS offers
students, faculty and staff a full menu of commuting
options, while a non-subsidized parking management
program encourages them to try the alternatives. The
three-time Diamond Award winner receives the prestigious
Diamond Ring award this year for its ongoing
contributions to commute trip reduction in King County.
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Jan. 18, 2001 Awards
Ceremony Lisa Quinn, Public Information Specialist; Weldon Irhrig, Executive Vice President; and Peter Dewey, Transportation Systems Manager, accept a Diamond Ring Award for the University of Washington. |
The University of Washington Seattle Campus educates over 35,000 students per year and employs approximately 20,000 staff and faculty. “As a large educational institution, we understand that we contribute to the traffic congestion in this area, Transportation Systems Manager Peter Dewey said. “Our U-PASS program is an effort to reduce our impact on the community.”
Key to
University's success is the way it manages student and
employee parking
Parking at the Seattle campus is available at a
flat rate of $160.74 per quarter for students and
employees. Vanpools and carpools are assigned to
conveniently located parking spots and pay no parking
fees. Currently 11% of the combined faculty, staff and
students rideshare to campus and make use of those
spaces. The UW distinguishes between student and faculty
carpools, with different requirements for both. Staff and
faculty carpools require at least two people per car.
Student carpools require three occupants to park on the
central campus during a business day, and two people to
park in the peripheral carpool spaces. U-PASS holders
participating in vanpools receive a monthly subsidy of
$40.
In addition to helping reduce the University's transportation impact on the environment and community, the parking management program is saving taxpayers money. “The program has allowed us to minimize the use of our parking facilities,” remarked Dewey. “We currently have 12,000 spaces, fewer than in 1983, despite 8,000 additional people. Without vigorously managing our parking and providing commute alternatives, the University would have been faced with adding approximately 3,600 parking spaces at a cost of over $100 million.
“In addition to saving money, our commute reduction program also has been a useful tool in retaining current employees and recruiting quality workers,” Dewey said. In today's market, the UW needs comparable benefits to what others in the market offer.”
The University of Washington rounds out its commute reduction package with comprehensive amenities for bicyclists and walkers.The Transportation Office also plans to integrate pedestrian and bicycle programs into the University's Campus and Transportation Management Plan.
“The University encourages its students, staff and faculty to take advantage of the U-PASS program,” Dewey said. “We constantly are working toward the reduction of UW traffic on the roads.”
Commuting
program
Results SOV rate reduced by 26%; 3,600 more parking spaces would have been needed at a cost of over $100 million |
*Some definitions: An “ETC” is the staff-level employee transportation coordinator responsible for the daily administration of the transportation program; “PM” is the transportation program manager; and “CEO” refers to the top management-level person at the worksite. “SOV” stands for single-occupant vehicle, and “CTR” for commute trip reduction.