In an effort to help alleviate excess traffic and congestion on campus, as well as provide additional resources to balance the parking needs of athletic and event programs, Parking and Transportation Services, which is a self-supporting auxiliary enterprise, will be investing $1 million worth of savings from a previous project into new economy parking spaces.
Set to be completed in phases throughout the upcoming fall semester, the spaces will be located at the UH Energy Research Park. Parking and Transportation Services is currently in talks with Facilities Planning and Construction to establish the project schedule.
“Our parking program must continually evolve to keep up with UH’s ever-growing campus environment,” said Bob Browand, director of Parking and Transportation Services. “As the student population continues to increase, these spaces will prove to be a priceless asset.”
In addition to these new spaces, parking’s plan for the coming year also shows visitor parking rates and permit prices remaining at their current levels — something that hasn’t happened in over five years at UH.
As a result of the new plan, which has been approved by the Campus Facilities and Planning Committee, Browand and his team are also reevaluating the current ERP shuttle service and have said that riders can expect enhancements to that route at the start of the fall semester.
‘’More spaces at ERP, means more people will be needing to be shuttled to and from the main campus,” said Browand. “We’re working with Groome now to revamp that route to meet the expected demand.”
While trends on campus continue to change, Administration and Finance’s commitment to the UH community remains constant.
“It’s evident that the dynamics of our campus have changed and continue to change. During this upcoming year, we will holistically review the parking program to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of our students, faculty, staff and visitors,” said Esmeralda Valdez, assistant vice president for University Services. “Understanding the impact of the new METRORail and possible changes to the METRO bus routes will be critical to establishing a sound parking program that continues to service our University community.”