Creative Ways To Solve College Parking Problems

If you’ve ever walked a college campus, you’ve most likely heard students complain about parking in one way or another. Many students who have the luxury of driving to school each day are frustrated with the issues their school’s parking lot may not be addressing. The good news is that many colleges are recognizing this and taking steps to make student parking more accessible. From implementing technology solutions to creating more priority spaces, there are a variety of creative ways to solve college parking problems and ease students’ anxieties about finding a place to park on campus.

Using Technology To Help Students Find Available Spots

One creative way to solve college parking problems is to use technology. There are several smartphone apps that you can use to find available parking spots in city environments, and some of that technology can be implemented in school lots as well. While these apps vary in features, they all have one thing in common: they help students find spaces faster and more efficiently than if they had to do it on their own. For example, live updates the number of spots available on each row or the ability to reserve a spot and check in via the app can make things more efficient.

On college campuses, allowing students to pay for parking using a smartphone app takes the stress out of paying for parking when living off-campus and traveling on campus for classes. Connecting with parking garages within walking distance of your campus and allowing real-time views of availability would benefit student life on any campus.

Grade Restrictions on Parking Access

Grade restrictions on parking access is the first and most obvious solution to the problem of insufficient parking for students. This technique requires you to set up some system that allows students who are a certain grade level access to a particular type of parking space. For example, not allowing first-year students to park on campus or giving priority spots to seniors can work well manage tight numbers.

Create Priority Parking Spots

Priority parking spots for staff, faculty, and even students can create a reward system with benefits that people can enjoy. Parking spaces are located near entrances, marked with a sign, and restricted only to those who earned them. You can create these spaces the next time your lot is repainted according to the campus parking lot restriping schedule. Some logistics are involved in handing over access as awards shift, but it can be used to motivate desired behavior.

Designate Spots for Visitors

The best way to ensure that your visitors can find parking is by clearly marking visitor parking spots. Visitor parking should be well-lit and close to the building. Visitors should have an easy time finding spaces and accessing the facility.

Find Your Solution

There are affordable, effective, and efficient ways to help students find parking spaces on campus. Having parking problems on campus is stressful for students and the administration. Many times, very few solutions work on a school campus because of their unique situations. The most important thing to remember is that each solution will address a different issue and mitigate some of the congestion around campus.