The U of A is advancing four key initiatives to improve parking on campus, including plans for a significant increase in the number of parking spaces while also expanding transit services to allow for more convenient use of remote parking lots. 

"We know that parking is a challenge on our campus, and we are pursuing bold recommendations for change that will improve how we manage access to campus," said Clayton Hamilton, senior associate vice chancellor for campus services. 

New Initiatives 

The new initiatives are intended to provide an immediate impact for the fall semester while also building a long-term plan to sustain improvements in accessing campus. 

1. Expanding Razorback Transit Services 

Investments are being made in Razorback Transit to expand service beginning this fall. More buses will be added to "peak" service, expanding total service for the year by 11,000 hours. In addition, a pilot program is being introduced this fall that will provide on-demand Sunday transit service anywhere on campus for students. Transit staff are also exploring adding more articulated buses to its fleet to improve capacity on the most popular routes. 

2. Increasing Parking Supply 

The university is moving forward with establishing a new parking garage, which will be a significant investment in adding more parking to campus. A decision will be made soon on the timeline, location and funding source for the new parking structure. 

3. Improving User Experience During Peak Demand 

A number of changes are being reviewed to better manage existing parking resources, including considering the feasibility of adding technology to parking lots and garages with real-time information on available spaces; switching from Flowbird to the Park Mobile app, which is used more broadly in the community; the potential addition of a data analyst to provide key metrics needed for ongoing efforts to inform decisions; and a possible reduction in the number of vehicles allowed on a student permit. Over the next several months, there will be an extended study of how a new zone-based parking system and incentives for remote parking can improve how parking inventory is allocated and managed. 

4. Enhancing Education and Communication 

Committed to providing the highest quality of campus transportation possible, Transit and Parking Services is dedicated to educating the campus community regarding the best solutions to navigating a complex campus parking system. In addition, Transit and Parking Services is working with University Relations and a third-party group to build communications and messaging strategies for the different stakeholder groups that utilize campus parking throughout the year. Steps being taken for the fall include more targeted communication and the introduction of "Parking Ambassadors" to engage with individuals in new ways as they navigate campus. This effort kicked off with New Student Orientation and the introduction of a new freshman class to campus. 

Parking, Transit Surveys Offer Feedback  

More than 2,000 U of A students and employees recently participated in a campus parking survey, providing feedback regarding the challenges that come with providing adequate parking solutions for campus. Participants identified three primary concerns: parking/traffic congestion, distance between parking and destination, and difficulty finding parking spaces. 

In addition, Transit and Parking Services is currently wrapping up a related study of transit service designed to help develop a long-term strategy for how the campus community can better access campus. 

"These very important studies are crucial to our goal in making much-needed improvements to our transit and parking services," Hamilton said. "It's clear from the majority of our survey responses that we need to try new things to increase satisfaction with parking and transportation on campus." 

Next Steps

Throughout the upcoming months, those who are interested in the progress of the two studies can find information on several platforms. Those include: the Transit and Parking Services website, on social media at U of A Campus Services (Facebook) and @UARKServices (Instagram) and Arkansas News articles. Passio GO! is a great resource for transit operations, and timely updates are posted directly to the app.  

Transit and Parking Services can be contacted directly at parking@uark.edu or at 479-575-7275.