Allocation of Student Parking Permits across a University Campus Based on Course Registration and Schedule
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems
Volume 148, Issue 1
Abstract
Most universities manage student parking demand by grouping parking lots into zones and selling as many parking permits as possible by the zones. This paper describes this problem as the university student parking permit problem (USP3) and proposes a solution called student permit allocation methodology (SPAM). The solution approach uses historical course registration data and oncampus travel patterns, combined with the course schedule of the target semester, to predict the spatial and temporal student parking demands in the target semester. The demand distribution patterns are then used to make decisions on the number of student parking permits for sale at the different zones. The internal components of SPAM have been validated and calibrated in parts using a midsize urban commuter campus. We further apply SPAM to illustrate that spreading the class meeting times will not only flatten the student parking demand curve but also enable more permits to be sold.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request, including the spreadsheet of university lists with the parameters and the model details.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Dr. Diana Natalicio, former UTEP President, and Dr. Roberto Osegueda, UTEP Vice President for Research, for their strong support. The authors also thank Dr. Roy Matthew, UTEP Associate Vice President for Planning; Dr. Cathe Lester, Director of the Center for Institutional Evaluation, Research, and Planning, UTEP; and Mr. Ruben Chavira, former Director of UTEP Parking and Transportation Services, and his team for providing the data. The contents of this article are disseminated in the interest of information exchange. This work is funded partially by a grant from the US Department of Transportation’s University Transportation Center Program. However, the US Government assumes no liability for the contents or use thereof.
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Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems
Volume 148 • Issue 1 • January 2022
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 19, 2021
Accepted: Sep 27, 2021
Published online: Nov 8, 2021
Published in print: Jan 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Apr 8, 2022
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Cited by
- Rodrigo Garcia, Okan Gurbuz, Ruey Long Cheu, Danielle Madrid, Methodology to Determine Faculty and Staff Parking Permit Fees on University Campuses, Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems, 10.1061/JTEPBS.0000757, 149, 4, (2023).