Lisa Fasana

Bradford Leaser

Youssef Mohamedaly

Executive Summary

Our mission for this year was to investigate ways to satisfy the transportation demands of the campus in an environmentally sound and creative manner. Our ultimate goal for this year was to create a detailed action plan that addresses the campus community’s future transportation needs. In order to accomplish this goal we worked closely with Clifford Contreras, the director of Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) and other campus organizations, such as Unitrans, to get a comprehensive understanding of the campus’ future transportation challenges. We focused on ways to solve these challenges in the most environmentally sound manner.

When we initially approached they revealed that they had just begun developing a long range access plan. This plan would shape the development of parking and transportation programs on campus over the next ten years. Bay Area Economics had been contracted to conduct an alternative transportation and parking investment study to project campus parking demand through the year 2015/16. This study also included recommendations on how TAPS could reduce on-campus parking demand. We analyzed this study and provided TAPS with our uniquely student perspective on the feasibility of the recommendations.

To supplement the Bay Area Economics study, TAPS conducted an in-depth survey combined with twelve focus groups to assess the campus community’s usage of alternative transportation and other transportation habits. We analyzed and summarized the survey and focus group information for TAPS. Our analysis provided TAPS and us a better understanding of campus transportation issues. The focus group and survey analysis revealed the challenges the campus will face when trying to increase alternative transportation use.

We conducted our own survey to gather additional information about staff and undergraduate student single occupancy vehicle commuters. Since these groups are the largest demanders for parking on campus, we need more information to better focus our final recommendations. We distributed the survey on the quad and at Thank Goodness For Staff day. Our survey looked into the perceived availability of alternative transportation options as well as the marginal value of a parking permit. We presented our survey findings as well as our analysis of the TAPS survey and focus groups to the Transportation and Parking Advisory Committee on May 17, 2007.

Ultimately we created an action plan based upon all of our own research and findings as well as the Bay Area Economics study. We found that TAPS faces difficult transportation challenges in the years ahead. The recommendations laid out in our action plan provided a comprehensive and cost-effective means of satisfying the increases in parking demand. Though West Village offers parking demand reduction, TAPS resources could be better spent elsewhere, such as the expanded marketing campaign for TAPS alternative transportation programs. These marketing efforts would promote TAPS current alternative transportation programs, such as carpool/Trainpool and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, to reduce parking demand. Also the construction of remote parking lots would reduce costs and allow the University to build more academic buildings near the campus core. Additionally, by charging In-Davis SOV users an extra fee, TAPS would reduce parking demand in the group that has the highest availability of alternative transportation options. By not focusing purely upon the construction of new parking spaces, TAPS would be able to better serve the campus community as a whole.

We presented our findings and action plan to the Transportation Workgroup as well as members of the Transportation and Parking Advisory Committee and the Bicycle Committee on June 8, 2007. The Transportation Workgroup will incorporate our recommendations when creating the final long range access plan. Additionally, TAPS is hiring a member of our group to implement our marketing suggestions over the next year.