INCREASING

INNER MSU
CAMPUS PARKING

Justin Novak & Brittany Bauer

Table of Contents
Abstract .................................................................................................................................. 3
Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 4
Background & Problem Statement .......................................................................................... 4
Problems with Prices ....................................................................................................................... 5
Location Problem ............................................................................................................................. 5
Cost of a Parking Ramp .................................................................................................................... 6
Proposed Solution .................................................................................................................. 7
Increasing Amount of Parking Spaces ............................................................................................... 7
Assigning Parking Passes .................................................................................................................. 7
Funding a Parking Ramp .................................................................................................................. 8
Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 8
References .............................................................................................................................. 9
Photo References ................................................................................................................... 9
Cover Figure ..................................................................................................................................... 9
Figure 1 ............................................................................................................................................ 9
Figure 2, 3, 4 .................................................................................................................................. 10
Figure 5 .......................................................................................................................................... 10

Abstract

Parking within the Campus of Minnesota State Mankato is somewhat limited to students. The
campus of MSU has various small amounts of parking in the core of the campus and the rest of
the parking is located on the outer parts of campus. Students, especially ones living on campus
in the dorms need closer parking available to them. The prices of parking passes are also very
high for students wanting to park in the available parking lots in the campus core which leads to
them buying parking passes for the parking lots farther from campus. In order to make more
parking available and more affordable to students living on campus, MSU needs to increase its
parking supply within the core of campus by adding a parking ramp. Parking passes can also be
made more suitable and affordable to students living on campus by implementing a priority
system to students living on campus wanting to purchase parking passes within the campus
core.

Figure 1 Parking Lot 16

Introduction

Wouldnt it be inconvenient for students to live on campus and pay for parking passes to then
have to walk a far distance just to get to their car because there is very little parking within the
core of MSUs campus.

Well not all students who attend Minnesota State University Mankato live on campus and
therefore share the very few parking spots in the campus core with other students who do in
fact live on campus. Students with cars living on campus have a limited number of parking
spaces available to them in the core of the campus. The parking lots on campus for students
living in dorms can also be located a long distance away. The MSU parking availability on
campus is insufficient for students living on campus and off campus. The problems that arise
with the current parking at MSU include not enough parking that is close to dorms or campus
buildings and the parking pass prices for parking lots within the campus.

Background & Problem Statement

As the size of enrollment for Minnesota State
University Mankato increases so does the
amount of cars that flow in and out of campus
every day. Currently on campus there are 23
parking lots available to students, as seen in
Figure 2. Some of those parking lots require a
paid permit while others are free to students
and visitors. Viewing the map, you can see the
small amount of parking that is actually within
the core of the campus, which are lots: 4a, 11,
11a & b, 12, 14, 15, 16. Most of the larger lots
are located around the outer part of the
campus and is where most of the students
living on campus park. Some of the problems
about parking at Minnesota State Mankato is
the lack of parking within the campus for
students living on campus. Very little parking
is located within the core of the campus.
Limited

Figure 2 Campus Parking Lot Overview


parking availability is seen within the core part of campus. Students parking in the bigger lots on
the outer part of campus have a considerable distance in order to get to their dorm.

Problems with Prices

University campus parking can also be
considered a monopoly in todays current
state. Universitys control is similar to a
circumstance that mirrors an insufficient
cost method for parking which also mirrors
the same constant effects monopoly
suppliers of parking have (H. Schmidt &
Westley). The reason for a situation with an
insufficient cost method is because
universities as parking monopolists aim to
yield the highest financial gain feasible from
their own parking supply (H. Schmidt &
Westley). Since parking within the campus
core attracts the most attention, the higher
priced light green and gold parking passes
are the most expensive, which is shown in
Figure 3. The only determinant of parking at
MSU is a sole possession in which MSU's
Parking Advisory Committee determines the
price and supply for each of the parking
permits. (Filipovitch, Boamah).

Location Problem

The available location for parking is a factor
of parking problems. Issues due to
inadequate supply of parking are becoming
more critical. Areas for concern are places
Figure 3 Parking Pass Prices
with crowded populations or areas with
limitations on applying an efficient parking
procedure (Barata, Cruz, Ferreira). This refers to why there is so few parking lots in the campus
core. There isnt a raw land supply in the core of the campus available to sustain an additional
lot. But something like a parking ramp does not need any additional land and can be added to
an existing parking lot within the campus.

Cost of a Parking Ramp

However, the reality is parking cant easily be added with the flip of a switch. Adding additional
parking to MSU is costly, based upon a parking consultant eight years ago, the price for a
multilevel parking ramp was in the span of $9,431 which corresponds to $3.8 million tabletop
and to upwards of $12,233 which also corresponds $4.9 million tabletop (Parking Ramp).
Based upon the MSU parking and transportation budget there is only $1,634,143 in the current
year receipts for income (Parking & Transportation Budget). MSU also does not receive any
external funding for its parking resources either, MSU's parking program receives no support
from either state tax dollars, student activity fees, etc.; financially, it stands on its own.
("Parking Ramp"). In other words, MSU would have to come up with a suitable and efficient
way to pay for such a parking ramp.

Proposed Solution

Increasing Amount of Parking Spaces

A possible solution to adding upon existing parking lots within the core of campus would be to
add a parking ramp to lot 16 or the visitors lot with lot 4a, areas seen circled in Figure 4. Both
of these parking ramps have the benefit of being in the campus core. It would produce a
number of parking spaces for not only students living on and off campus but also other MSU
staff. A visualization of what a parking ramp would look like in the visitors lot & lot 4a was
made for MSU, this can be seen in Figure 5 (Parking Ramp).

Figure 4 Proposed Areas for a Parking Ramps

Figure 5 Visualization of a Parking Ramp in Visitors Lot & Lot 4a

Assigning Parking Passes

Ann McClure finds that he University of Georgia assigned parking permits to people who
wanted to buy them based on their status in the campus. There would be a process that
determines what kind of students get what type of parking permit. In doing so there wouldnt
be a such a freedom for a student to buy any parking pass they desire (1). The idea about giving
parking permits to people who want to buy them based on their status in the campus could be
a possible solution. A way this could be a solution is now students living in dorms would be
assigned parking permits to lots relatively close to their dorm building. Then off campus
students would get all the other available lots that are relatively close to the campus. In doing
so students living in dorms would then get the ability to parking in lots close to their dorm
building.

Funding a Parking Ramp

To fund such a parking ramp at MSU, funds would have to come from money received from
campus parking passes that are sold and money received from parking meters located
throughout campus (Parking Ramp). Students however would be more inclined to pay higher
prices for parking passes if it guaranteed them a parking space in the core of the campus, as
indicated from the survey of students living on campus who have purchased a parking pass.

Students on whether or not if they would be willing to pay

higher prices for parking passes.

28%

72%

Willing to pay a higher price.

Not willing to pay a higher price.

Conclusion

It would be nice to not have to drive around campus more than once to find a parking spot and
to not have to walk a long distance from the available parking lots. These problems can be
solved by building a parking ramp on campus in Lot 16 or Lot 4a. Building a parking ramp would
lead to more parking spaces available on campus.

References

Barata, Eduardo & Cruz, Luis & Ferreira, Joo-Pedro. Parking at the UC campus: Problems and
solutions. Cities, Volume 28, Issue 5, October 2011, Pages 406-413. Web. 3 Apr. 2016.

Bill, H. Schmidt and Christopher Westley. "The University-As-Monopolist: Why Parking
Problems Persist at University Campuses." The Journal of Applied Business and
Economics 10.6 (2010): 39-43. ProQuest. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.

Filipovitch, Anthony and Boamah, Emmanuel. A systems model for achieving optimum parking
efficiency on campus: The case of Minnesota State University. Transport Policy, Volume
45, January 2016, Pages 86-98. Web. 3 Apr. 2016.

McClure, Ann. "Go with the flow: campus traffic and parking solutions: 20 tips for better
transportation management." University Business May 2010: 50+. Expanded Academic
ASAP. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.


"Parking Ramp." Parking and Transportation Services Minnesota State University, Mankato.
MSU, n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2016.

https://www.mnsu.edu/parking/parking_ramp.html

"Parking & Transportation Budget." (2016): n. pag. MSU, 1 Feb. 2016. Web. 3 Apr. 2016.
https://www.mnsu.edu/parking/budget.html

Photo References

Cover Figure
Main Banner Photo. Google Images. 12 Apr. 2016.

Figure 1
Parking Lot Photo. Google Maps. 12 Apr. 2016.

Figure 2, 3, 4
2015-2016 Parking Map Photo. Minnesota State University Mankato Parking and
Transportation Services. 11 Apr. 2016

Figure 5
Concept: F as of 09-06-12 Photo. Minnesota State University Mankato Parking and
Transportation Services. 11 Apr. 2016

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