Medical Center reports back on parking surveys

Last spring, the University contracted C&S Companies – experts in providing engineering, architecture and project planning services – to conduct a University-wide survey to better understand employees’ commuting habits and level of satisfaction with current parking arrangements.

Questionnaires were mailed home to all full- and part-time faculty and staff, drawing responses from more than 4,300 Medical Center employees.

“This has been a unique year marked by new capital projects, gating systems, and remote lots that required multiple shifts in our parking arrangements,” said Patricia Hudson, Medical Center operations manager for Parking and Transportation Services. “Staff have been flexible in the midst of change, and we want to report back on our findings and assure them that we’re listening.”

Understanding the demand for space

“Our space crunch is driven not only by the University being the largest employer in town, but also by our limited footprint,” Hudson said.

This is compounded by the fact that URMC’s “drive alone” mode share – the percentage of employees who consistently park personal vehicles – is higher (89.4 percent) than it is for Monroe County on whole (82.7 percent).

“In order to develop attractive carpooling and mass-transit options, we first have to understand employees’ preferences for using personal vehicles,” Hudson said.

The survey showed that:

Many employees’ non-typical working hours (e.g., nighttime/weekend shifts) make arranging carpools tricky.
Many employees said their commutes were inadequately served by public transit (85 percent of them have never used it to come to work).
Many said they relied on their cars for mid-day errands.

“It’s clear that one promising solution for lowering our ‘drive alone’ numbers is partnering with transit authorities to create direct park ‘n rides,” Hudson said. “In fact, plans are already underway with the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority, and we plan to begin a trial in Greece in early February.”

Short-term service concerns

Many employees also expressed service-related concerns, which the Parking Office is working to address:

Poor weather protection. Many parkers wanted weather-protected parking, but the feasibility of building a ramp garage (which C&S Companies estimates could cost as much as $43 million for a mere 350 spaces) is being studied. In the meantime, to help with inclement weather, Parking staff are providing complimentary car-starts (for dead batteries), tire inflation, and even lock de-icing.
Better policing and enforcing of permits. This was a key motive for installing the AVI gating system: it ensures that parkers only enter the lots they pay for. The new system also monitors how quickly lots fill up, so Parking can more quickly open overflow locations and avoid crowding.
Enhanced pedestrian safety (especially while crossing Kendrick and Crittenden). Parking leaders have plans with city officials to study traffic and pedestrian patterns through this intersection (the last analysis was conducted in 2003) to determine if changes should be made to crossing times and/or traffic signals.

Keeping you better informed

One surprise finding was how few employees knew all the parking options available to them. For instance:

Only 12 percent knew about the Rideshare matching service, which offers a convenient way to connect with employees who live nearby and work similar hours.
Only 21 percent were aware of the deep rate reductions available to carpoolers (groups of four or more park free). Carpools are now open to two employees at the same residence (separate permits initially required to qualify) and to River Campus-Medical Center combinations. Additionally, each carpooler receives 24 occasional parker passes, to park their own vehicle on days they need it.
Only 14 percent knew they could purchase a year’s worth of RTS passes – with pre-tax dollars – via monthly payroll deductions.
Only 33 percent had accessed bus and shuttle maps and schedules available online.
- Late night staff shuttle (ensures safety while walking to vehicles): Between 5:30 p.m. and 1:20 a.m., this bus cycles from the Crittenden Loop, to the Whipple Loop, to onsite employee lots (1, 2, A, and Wegmans).
- CVRI shuttle: Between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., this shuttle departs nearly every half-hour, offering rides between the MRB loop and the CVRI complex.
- Corporate Woods shuttle: Departing every half-hour between 7:15 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., this shuttle connects Corporate Woods offices with the Medical Center (pick-up at Crittenden Loop).

“We’ll continue to work to keep all faculty and staff informed of new policies, opportunities and plans as they come to fruit,” Hudson said. “In the long-term, we’re turning our attention to continuing customer service enhancements, planning for future growth, and finding convenient ways that better share the University’s – and our planet’s – resources.”

To view the full report online, click here.

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