University of Virginia Library

Traffic Study Calls For Parking Reform

A traffic and parking consultant has
issued a report for the University that
outlines steps that could be taken to meet
the growing traffic needs at the
University including parking garages,
more parking lots and development of a
transit system serving the Grounds. Costs
of the projects would be paid by persons
using the facilities.

The traffic study was prepared for the
University by Kimley-Horn and
Associates of Richmond and Raleigh and
was based on a year-long survey of traffic
conditions on the Grounds. It outlines
three plans that could be used to provide
parking for a University enrollment of
18,000. No official University action has
been taken on the recommendations of the
consulting firm. However at the
recommendation of the University's Traffic
Control Committee, President Edgar F.
Shannon Jr. has authorized a second study to
determine how best to apply proposals such as
those developed by Kimley-Horn.

1969-1970 Session

During the 1969-70 academic session when
student enrollment at the University was 9,700
a survey by the consultants showed that
parking space was needed for 7,220 vehicles on
the Central Grounds per day including 3,990
for faculty-staff cars, 2,790 for student cars and
440 for visitor vehicles. There were 5,831
parking spaces available to meet the 7,220 car
demand, a deficiency of 1,389 spaces.

On the basis of its survey, the consulting
firm developed three alternative concepts that
would provide for three levels of parking
convenience: low, medium and high. Only one
of the three concepts was recommended by the
consulting firm for implementation by the
University. This recommended concept would
provide a medium level of convenience.

Meet Needs Of 14,500

The concept recommended for the
University by Kimley-Horn would meet the
parking needs of an enrollment of 14,500
students on the Central Grounds and an
additional 3,500 students at he Birdwood tract
west of the University if that tract of land is
developed to handle the University's growth.
Total number of parking spaces for all persons
coming to the Central Grounds would be
15,0000 and 4,820 more would be at Birdwood
under this plan.

Birdwood is a tract of land belonging to the
University which is located on Route 250 West
immediately northwest of the Route 29
overpass. If this area is designated by the
administration for use in the growth and
development of the University and is designated
for resolution of the parking squeeze, a transit
system will enable motorists access to their
vehicles.

Under provisions of the specific plan
recommended by Kimley-Horn, 98 per cent of
the faculty and staff (including medical) would
park within five minutes walking distance to
the place of employment.

Five Minutes Walking

Ninety three percent of student residents
would park within five minutes walking
distance from class while 80 per cent of
commuting students would park within five to
20 minutes walking distance of their
destinations. In sum, 77 per cent of the people
coming to the University would park within
five minutes walking distance of destination.

Overall cost of the recommended program
would be approximately $15.4 million for
construction of 14,331 new spaces of which
2,670 would be in parking garages. Under this
proposal each person using a parking space
would pay $75 or more per year in order to
defray capital costs. A transit system included
in the consultant's recommendations would
cost each user $10 to $75 per year.

Second Concept

A second concept outlined in the report,
although not recommended by the consultants,
would provide a low level of service and
convenience at an overall improvement cost of
$5.7 million, including Birdwood.

Under this plan 86 per cent of the faculty
and staff would be able to park within five
minutes of their places of employment on the
Grounds; 93 per cent of student residents
would park within five minutes of their
destinations and 93 per cent of off-Grounds
students would park within five to 20 minutes
of their destinations on the Grounds.

71 Per Cent

This plan would allow 71 per cent of all
persons coming to the University to park within
five minutes of their ultimate destinations. The
average annual cost per space user on the
Central Grounds would be $52 and $40 for
Birdwood.

Incorporating a transit system through the
Grounds under this plan would cost each user
from $20 to $52 per year on the average,
according to the consultants. Under this second
concept 12,070 spaces would be provided on
the Central Grounds and 3,775 spaces for the
student enrollment and staff at Birdwood.

A third concept developed but not
recommended by the consultants would
provide a high level of service and convenience.
This concept, which would total $25.7 million
in construction of parking spaces, would
provide 18,425 parking spaces on the Central
Grounds and 5,975 spaces at Birdwood.

Under this plan all faculty and staff
members could park within five minutes of
their places of employment and all students
with five to 20 minutes of their classes.
Seventy-five per cent of students living
off-Grounds would park within five minutes of
their classes. Under this program, which
provides for no transit system, the average
annual user cost for parking spaces would be
$87 for the Central Grounds and $95 at
Birdwood.

Interim Plan

The consultants also developed an interim
plan of several steps that could be taken leading
to the time when one of the three major
concepts would be implemented. They include:
rearranging parking spaces in existing parking
areas and grading new areas for parking; zoning
all parking areas by use or affiliation; metering
visitor spaces; increasing charges for parking
permits; retaining a traffic engineering
consultant on a continuing basis.

Charles E. Moran, chairman of the
University's Traffic Control Committee, said
that while no action has been taken on the
Kimley-Horn study, "We hope to proceed soon
with the second study which would determine
how to implement the kind of
recommendations laid down in the first study.

"Hopefully the second study could be
started after the University hires a traffic
coordinator - a newly created position at he
University. This official would provide much of
the guidance in developing an overall plan to
meet the University's traffic needs," Mr. Moran
said.