Texas Tech University Transportation and Parking Services maintains there is enough commuter parking on campus to support the university’s goal of 40,000 students by 2020, but potential deficits could be seen in both residence hall and employee parking in the future.
However, Transportation and Parking Services Managing Director Eric Crouch said there has been a shift happening in employee parking — more and more employees are opting for cheaper parking away from the center of campus. He said employees are starting to chose commuter parking over convenient parking by the buildings they work in to save money.
“So, I think as time goes on, we’ll see more of a shift away from employee parking and student parking,” Crouch said. “and it will be more close in, expensive parking and further out, less expensive parking.”
Faculty and staff will still have preference and first choice, he said.
Crouch said parking services took its first baby steps in putting more students closer to campus when the department had some excess parking availability in residence halls and employee parking and they offered those spots to graduate students.
While the department does not have room in the lots on campus to accommodate every graduate student, it is trying to offer the ones who do work on campus spots as close as possible when they open up.
He said they were able to offer around 50 or 60 of these spots this year.
Even though there is an apparent trend of employees utilizing commuter parking rather than convenient parking, Crouch said, the department does anticipate an increase in employee and visitor parking demand over time due to the school’s continued growth.
Map of additions provided under the Texas Public Information Act
Parking services’ plans indicate the department is working to add more employee and visitor parking spots around campus.
According to documents obtained under a Texas Public Information Act request, Transportation and Parking Services is adding 78 spots in the library parking lot, 81 spaces to the band lot and 106 spots in the lot behind the Chemistry Building.
The campus core — especially near the Student Union Building — is seeing a rapid increase in visitor and student traffic, Crouch said.
According to documents received under the Texas Public Information Act, the lots around the area made up four of the top 10 heaviest ticketed lots in the last four long semesters. The number of tickets during those semesters in the SUB parking lot, library lot and band lot equalled a little less than 21,000.
Transportation and Parking Services also has plans drawn up to potentially add a second parking garage on campus in the somewhat near future — which would address anticipated increases in employee and visitor parking demand.
Crouch said their studies indicate there is currently enough commuter parking on campus to accommodate an anticipated goal to have 40,000 students by 2020.
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Great job on this Alicia! I can really tell you put a lot time and effort into this series and it’s paying off.
I remember you asking me for information last Spring!