- CEO*: David Mitchell, President
- PM: Alicia Tseng, Director of
Administrative Services
- ETC: James Lewis, Transportation
Coordinator
Parking plan aimed
at students as well as staff
South Seattle Community
College has a unique situation when it comes to
the Commute Trip Reduction Law. Technically,
there are only 156 employees affected by the
regulation. But SSCC also employs 250 full and
part-time faculty, and approximately 6,500
students attend day and evening classes. With
only 976 parking spaces, James Lewis, Employee
Transportation Coordinator, decided to take an
aggressive approach not only to parking
management, but also with alternative commute
modes.
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Transportation
Coordinator James Lewis and Director of
Administrative Services Alicia Tseng hold
the Diamond Award presented to South
Seattle Community College. |
All parking is by permit only. Parking fees
are on a sliding scale depending on number of
hours worked by staff or number of credits taken
by students. For students the fee ranges from
$12.75-38.25 per quarter, while staff pays from
$21.50-74.50 per quarter. Currently, 100 priority
spaces are reserved for carpools. During the
annual summer break, Lewis reviews the parking
situation and decides how many additional spots
can be given to carpools in the next school year.
Student carpools pay $21 per quarter, and staff
pays $35.25. Parking is monitored by carpool
permits displayed on participating cars. As added
incentive, staff who carpool receive $35 in
vouchers each quarter. These are redeemable at
REI, BP, Firestone, YMCA, Brown Bear Car Wash,
AAA, and the campus bookstore. The vouchers also
are given to students and staff who bicycle or
walk to campus.
Transit service to the site historically has
been limited. Lewis saw an opportunity to change
that when he joined the South West King County
Sounding Board for King County Metro. By actively
representing the college and offering
suggestions, new routes started serving the
campus in September of 1998, making commuting by
transit a viable option for the first time.
In response to the new level of transit
service, college management developed the GoPass.
Students taking at least ten credits can purchase
a GoPass for $87 per quarter, half the regular
price. Staff working less than half time can
purchase a GoPass for $132 and staff working half
time and more are charged a fee of $10 per
quarter, which entitles them to a GoPass. The
pass is good on all Metro routes in King County.
To attract students from Vashon Island and the
Southworth area, the college offers a $45 subsidy
per quarter on Ship-to-Shore ferry passes, which
combines transit and ferry fares in one pass.
A free campus shuttle not only transports
staff and students from the park and ride to the
campus, but also to the nearby shopping district,
allowing them to run errands and shop, without
the necessity of a car.
Commuting
program
- Preferred parking for carpools
- Reduced parking fee for carpools
- $35 vouchers for carpoolers,
bicyclists, and walkers
- Guaranteed ride home
- Free shuttle
- GoPass at reduced rate for staff
and students
- $45 subsidy on Ship-to-Shore
passes
Results
Of a total campus population of 6,906,
227 students carpool, 60 employees
carpool, approximately 258 staff receive
a GoPass, approximately 106 students per
quarter purchase a GoPass and
approximately 12 students purchase a
Ship-to-Shore pass.
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*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.
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