College Apps
Students usually download your school’s app before they even register for classes. Your app probably offers them maps of the campus, event information, and course catalogs. It might even offer meal plan information, faculty contact info, and class discussion forums. What if it could also help students and teachers park faster and get to class on time?
How good is your parking program?
If your school app is something every student has, a parking spot is something no one seems to have. Finding parking on college campuses is notoriously difficult. And with students taking to social media to vent about it, schools are eager to take action. Poor parking management also causes students to be late for class. On many campuses, such as at Illinois State University, while students complain that there’s nowhere to park, spaces are sitting unused in campus lots and garages.
A New Issue?
Parking on campus is an issue universities have long struggled with. In 1957, the chancellor of UC Berkeley listed the three biggest problems on campus as sex, athletics, and parking. A 2015 article exploring parking issues in colleges says parking has probably outpaced the other two in administrative headaches. On some campuses, there simply isn’t enough place for everyone to park. But for many, spots are available; they
can just be difficult to find.
Parking Guidance
Parking counting systems like OpenSpace by Parking Logix keep track of available spots in each parking lot. The up-to-the-minute data is then shared with your students and faculty. They can see exactly which lot has room for them to park- and where they shouldn’t bother looking. Availability data can be broadcast in many ways so you can be sure students get the message. A sign at your campus entry can show available spots in every lot or garage. And with API integration, you can show that data on your school’s app as well.