Management
Sources and Methods 6
Discussion of Findings 6
Causes 6
Impacts 9
Recommendations ..10
Conclusion 12
Letter Of Transmittal
Dear Mr. John,
Enclosed is the report you commissioned on 9 September, 2013 on the parking problems faced in the campus. The main findings of the report are
- The high cost of parking is a burden to students who rely on their parents financially.
- The parking spaces are inadequate forcing students to either park outside campus or fail to attend lectures.
- The problem has escalated, and it needs to be addressed. It has lead to wastage of time, and it is contributing to poor performance recorded by the university.
- The campus should create new parking spaces, as well as, encourage students to use alternative means of transport.
I would love to thank students and staff for availing themselves to be interviewed. Your information was very useful in the compilation of this report.
I would like to acknowledge the assistance of my teammates who assisted me in collecting data and preparing this report.
Special regards to my employer for giving this opportunity to familiarize with the campus and to improve on my research skills.
Regards,
Laura Lewis
Executive Summary
This paper focuses on a discussing the findings of research carried out at ASU on inadequate parking. The first part of the paper dwells on the introduction. The problem and significance of study are clearly outlined. Students and staff at ASU have complained about the high cost of parking and lack of parking spaces. In an effort to solve this problem, the Parking and Transit Service has carried out a study to determine the extent of the problem and come up with solutions.
The paper identifies the causes of inadequate parking in the campus. The increase in the number of students, removal of some of the parking areas, and failure by management to increase the parking space are some of the factors that have contributed to the problem in question.
In conclusion, the paper has outlined several recommendations the campus can use to reduce the demand for parking spaces. The campus should increase parking spaces. It should also encourage free transit. Moreover, it should encourage students to use other means of transport such as motorcycles and bicycles by offering incentives.
Introduction
Background
Persistent space shortages have become a common problem in most major campuses. The problem of inadequate parking is not only experienced in schools. Most urban centers are putting up extra parking spaces to create enough room for parking. In an effort to discourage people from using personal cars, local authorities have increased the parking charges. At ASU the situation is not different the parking spaces and parking charges have caused the students and employees sleepless nights.
The Parking and transit service at ASU has received a considerable number of complaints from the students and employees on the parking spaces and charges. The students feel that the parking charges are high forcing them to use other means of transport. It is also very difficult to find a parking space during the weekdays.
The problem
In an effort to solve the problem, the management, has raised the parking fee. The charges are increased to discourage students from travelling by car ultimately reduce the number of cars on the premises. This has not solved the problem in any way instead; it has made it worse. It has become a headache to get a parking space in the school premises even at the high parking fee. The increase in the number of students and staff has led to a further increase of the parking fee. This is what happens in an efficient market, when demand is higher than supply the prices definitely rises. However, this is not a normal market these are students faced with economical constraints and a high parking fee is a burden to them. Some students cannot afford the parking fee forcing them to fail to attend classes or seek other cumbersome means of transport. Some will opt not to enjoy some privileges such as paying for a particular activity in order to raise enough money for parking fee.
In the interviews student explain the process they sometimes undertake to get a parking space in the school premises. Some students live near the school and arrive early enough to secure a spot. However, some of the students live far away from school. They are forced to wake up in order to arrive at school early enough to get a parking spot. Arriving early does not guarantee one a parking space. Sometimes it is difficult to get a parking spot in the wee hours of the morning. Some students park their cars outside the school premises forcing them to incur extra charges. Students are disappointed since they have paid tuition fee but fail to attend some classes when they fail to secure a parking space.
Significance and Scope
The study aims to determine the extent of the problem of inadequate parking at ASU. The parking and transit service department have received numerous complaints from staff and students on shortage of parking spaces and high cost. This study focuses to determine the cause of the problem in order to come up with appropriate solutions. The study will be limited to ASU, but it will make use of relevant information from other sources.
Sources and Methods
Data was collected through primary methods. Through observation, the shortage of parking space was evident. Students and staff were interviewed to understand how the problem is affecting their lives, and to get their recommendations. Questionnaires were distributed to other campuses to determine the extent of the problem in other campuses. Articles on inadequate parking were of great help in coming up with solutions and recommendations.
Discussion of Findings
Causes
Increased Number of Students and Staff
Education has become crucial to everyone in the world today. Over the years, most campuses, have recorded an increase in the number of students. ASU has admitted many students with the highest intake being recorded last year. The school is improving the facilities to ensure that they are adequate for everyone. Recently the school hired staff members to improve service delivery in the campus. In addition, it has built additional lecture halls.
The increase in the number of students has increased demand for parking spaces. As previously stated, inadequate parking was already a problem hence the problem has escalated with the increase in the number of students and staff. The school has not increased the parking spaces hence some students fail to secure a spot. Students and staff fight for spots especially during the weekdays when school is packed to capacity. The increase in the number of students has overwhelmed the parking spaces and need to increase the space is felt.
The graph below shows how the increase in the number of students and staff has led shortage in parking spaces
Removed Parking
The campus has removed some of the parking spaces to accommodate athletic and special events. It has had several projects by putting up a building which ends up taking up some of the parking space or part of it. The students feel that this is an insensitive move on the side of the management. Students expressed their disappointment in the interviews. They fail to understand the reasons behind the reduction of parking space.
The removal some of the parking space has greatly contributed to the current problem the students are facing. The parking spaces are not adequate and removing them has caused more hindrances.
Poor Management
The students and staff have complained about the way the parking spaces are managed. Students feel that the parking policies should be reviewed to ensure that only students and staff park in the available spaces and not outsiders. The parking spaces are not allocated efficiently. Some of the attendants have been reported of favouring some students and staff. Some people always secure a parking space with the help of the attendants. This has caused outrage students, arguing that the services should be offered on a first come first served basis.
The management has not divided the parking spaces properly. There is no clear guidance on where students and employees should park. Student and staff are fighting for the same spots. The school has failed to allocate the staff and students different space of parking adding to the problem.
The problem has been experienced for many years, and it still remains unsolved. The management has been accused of sleeping on their job with students and staff. The management has removed some of the parking space instead of increasing the spaces as expected. The number of students has increased hence parking spaces should be increased but the management has concentrated on improving other services. To some extent the management has ignored the problem of inadequate parking adding more salt to the wound.
Increase in Parking Fee
In an effort to reduce the number of cars in the campus management increased the parking fee. The management was of the view that increasing the price will increase the profits which can be used to build new parking spaces. The rise in demand of parking space has also led to increase in the parking fee. Some students are forced to park outside the campus where they charge a high price.
Impacts
Waste of Time
The students get to class late because it takes time to get a parking space. Some students may fail to attend a lecture when they fail to secure a parking space. Time is a very important factor in a learning institution. Wastage of time impacts on the performance of the students. The time wasted in looking for a parking space can be used otherwise. It is not possible to measure the amount of time lost by students, but the effects can be felt from the poor performance of some students.
Economic Hardships
The increased cost of parking is economic hardship to some of the students. Students rely on their parents for their upkeep. Increasing the parking fee has increased the expenses of the students. Some students cannot afford to pay the parking fee and opt to use other means to get school. Some students have to use personal cars hence have to pay the parking fee daily. The parking fee has become a burden to most of the students. In addition, students can pay for service and waste a lot of time trying to get a space.
Recommendations
Increasing Parking Spaces
The campus should develop programs to increase the parking spaces. There is an urgent need to address the problem before it escalates further causing irreplaceable damage. The campus is big hence has substantial space that can be altered into parking spaces. It should hire experts to determine the best position for the new parking space.
Creating new parking spaces will go a long way in reducing the increased demand for parking spaces in the campus. Most of the staff and students share the idea that increasing the parking spaces is the best solution to thebproblem in question. There is ample land to create parking spaces hence it will be a smooth process.
Mass Transit
Mass transit should be encouraged to reduce the number of cars in the campus. The campus should offer free transportation services to students and staff. Increasing the parking fee has not solved the problem instead; it has placed a burden on students. Mass transit may be used as an alternative. Providing free transport services will discourage students to use personal cars to school.
The school should purchase buses which will be enough to transport students and staff from different areas. It should develop a procedure guiding the operation of the busses to ensure that students can access the service with ease.
Housing on or near Campus
The campus should come up with incentives to draw employees and students to reside near the campus or in the campus. The campus should build residential areas on the premises which it rent at a reduced price to encourage students and staff to live on campus. It should also ensure that there are apartments in the surrounding areas where employees and students can live. The houses should be within a walking distance to discourage students from using personal cars. Residing near or on campus will reduce the number of cars in the campus. Students and staff will not require cars to commute to school.
Improve on Alternative Mode of Transport
The campus can come up with bicycle incentive program to encourage the use of bicycles among staff and students. It can offer free parking services for commuters who use bicycles and motorcycles. In addition, it can create covered bicycle racks that protect against weather. Incentive program to encourage people to use bicycles will reduce the demand for parking spaces.
Conclusion
Works Cited
O'dowd, John. "Report for UCD on Independent Consultation on Paid Car Parking." Final Report (2013): 1-45.
Schmidt, Bill H. "The Universityas Monopolist: Why Parkin Problems Persist at University campuses." Journal of Applied Bussiness and Economics (2013): 1-5.
Smith College. "CAMPUS PARKING MASTER PLAN." Fuss & Nell (2007): 1-101.
