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April 18, 2005
Parking News

Dear Colleagues:

We write to provide a general update on campus parking, as well as to let you know about construction projects planned for the next 12-18 months that will affect parking.

During the past year Emory has partnered actively with members of the Clifton Corridor Transportation Management Association (e.g., CDC, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta) to study traffic and find ways to help offset the growing congestion in the corridor. Many ideas have been developed to help decrease the negative impacts of traffic on campus and in the surrounding neighborhoods. With community input and involvement, we hope over the next six months to finalize a set of initiatives designed to improve access to and from the campus. Additionally, Emory is working on creative ways to ameliorate internal campus congestion, such as exploring the possibility of developing a program to permit employees to borrow and utilize bicycles (at no charge) during the workday.

As you probably know, parking fees do not fully cover the costs to operate parking garages and services on campus. The University currently subsidizes parking by nearly $1.8 million annually through the fringe benefit pool. While one could debate the merits of treating parking as a cost-recovery operation, Emory as well as most of our peers view parking as a cost to be borne primarily by users.

As a policy matter, it may be necessary for Emory to reduce (or eliminate) the subsidy, in order to provide additional investments in alternative transportation and shuttle services. One of the recommendations of the study undoubtedly will be to better align parking rates with our environmental values and with incentives for the growth in alternative transportation. In fact, we are already working on a trial neighborhood shuttle route that would provide transportation to employees who live in close proximity to the campus.

With respect to upcoming construction, there are at least two projects currently in planning stages that will impact on-street parking, and we want to make you aware of this in advance. This June, we will begin construction to relocate the sorority houses to a complex on Fraternity Drive. This complex will be located adjacent to the Alpha Phi Alpha house and will displace existing on-street parking along Fraternity Drive, as well as various parking spaces surrounding the Facilities Management lot. These changes to the streetscape will be real improvements for bike and foot traffic on that part of campus.

In addition, when DeKalb County constructs the Emory Village traffic circle, the main campus entrance and Dowman Drive streetscape will be improved. On-street parking along Dowman Drive, however, will be reduced. Further details will be provided as site work and construction begins, but we wanted to give you early notice before construction actually starts.

Additional details will be forthcoming from the parking office. In the meantime, if you have questions or need further information, please contact Bill Collier, director of parking and community services, at 404-727-1868 or by e-mail at wcollie@emory.edu. Many thanks for your understanding and cooperation as we seek to improve access in and around campus.

Sincerely,
Earl Lewis
Provost and executive vice president for academic affairs

Mike Mandl
Executive vice president for finance and administration

 

 

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