Introduction
Harrisburg University is a small campus of approximately 3,000 students that offers many top-level programs (US News, 2017). It has only been in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania for a short time. Like many campuses, both the University and the city have become intertwined. A lack of parking that is convenient for students is one of the main complaints that the University receives on a regular basis. The problem is that as the population of the surrounding area grew, and the University expanded, land upon which to place parking lots grew increasingly sparse. The population of the campus and the surrounding area will continue to grow, which means that the parking problem will become much worse in the future. This research examines the current parking options, and will make recommendations as to how to improve the situation in the future.
Current Parking Options
Harrisburg University has approximately 3,000 students and is serviced by one garage with the capacity of 380 spaces (Park Harrisburg, 2017). As a small University, there are many students that commute to the campus. One of the disadvantages of this parking garage is that students may only enter between certain hours of the day. They can only enter between the hours of 6 AM and 9 PM and between the hours of 5 AM and 7 PM on Saturdays (Park Harrisburg, 2017). It has daily and monthly parking rates. It is closed on Sundays to daily parking customers (Park Harrisburg, 2017). Cars may exit at any time.
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Parking garage rates are very expensive at $10 for two hours, $15 for four hours, and $30 for up to 24 hours (Park Harrisburg, 2017). If the ticket is lost, the person must pay the full 24 hour rate of $30 (Park Harrisburg, 2017). Monthly rates are $200 or a non-reserved space and $270 for a reserved space (Park Harrisburg, 2017). That is at least $2,400 per year in parking fees. For a student, this may impact the ability the student to attend the campus. The current parking situation is inconvenient due to the restricted hours, and may be prohibitive due to financial constraints of students.
There are three city operated lots that are within a few blocks of the campus, but these are also prohibitive due to expense (Park Harrisburg, 2017). As the campus grows, it will face a continuing crisis over student parking. The city provides resident monthly parking specials for $60 per month and evening and weekend rates at $80 per month (Park Harrisburg, 2017). It also has a midday monthly special at $90 per month, but this is only available at the River Street garage (Park Harrisburg, 2017). If the Harrisburg University does not resolve its parking problems, it may make the University unattractive to future students.
Parking Options at Other Regional Colleges and Universities
The University of Cincinnati is a large regional campus that currently faces a parking crisis. They have 11 garages in several lots that are set aside for staff and visitors (UC, 2017). The University of Cincinnati offers semester rates ranging between $250 and $495 per semester. Hourly garage rates for visitors are calculated at three dollars per hour (UC, 2017). Depending on the garage, staff also have rate parking ranging between $50 and $110 per month. Parking rates at the University of Cincinnati or more expensive than those at OSU, but they also offer a few perks that OSU does not offer. For instance, they offer roadside assistance, such as tire pump ups for the price (UC, 2017). They also have an online app and tracker that allows students and faculty to monitor which garages are full before they get there.
Proposed Options
The first proposed option is that the campus build additional parking lots. As land and space is at a premium, this means that lots will have to be built vertically. The advantage of this plan is that students and faculty will have more spaces available, but these garages will also be expensive and will likely raise the cost of parking rates.
The second proposed option is to build parking lots outside of the University and provide park and ride services using mass transportation to move students and faculty to their chosen area of the University. The advantage of this option is that provides more parking spaces and will not be as expensive as constructing the parking garage in a crowded area the city. This option could be low cost in terms of parking rates and would not place a burden on the current parking system. The disadvantage is that parking further away from campus would be inconvenient students and faculty.
The third option is to put a program in place that is similar to the one used by the University of Cincinnati that allows staff and faculty to see the status of parking lots before they arrive to find them full. The advantage of this alternative is that it is relatively low cost to implement. Students and faculty may be more willing to pay for increases in parking costs they are receiving more benefits for their money. However, the disadvantage is that it does not solve the problem of having too few spaces.
Conclusion and Recommendations
When one considers the state of parking at the Harrisburg University campus, the solution chosen must be one that resolves the current parking needs, and helps to address future needs as well. The best option may be to try to expand parking outside the campus area and to provide transportation services for those that choose to root use the park and ride option. This option has several advantages. First is that it provides more physical parking spaces. The second is that provides a lower cost alternative than parking on the main campus. Students and faculty can choose whether they want to save money on parking for a little inconvenience, or whether they wish to pay the higher rates for closer parking. This option gives students and faculty a lower-cost alternative to the current parking that is available.
- Park Harrisburg (2017). Harrisburg University Garage. Retrieved from http://parkharrisburg.com/
- University of Cincinnati (UC) (2017). Parking Services. Retrieved from https://www.uc.edu/parking.html
- US News (2017). Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. Retrieved from https://www.usnews.com
