COLLEGES LEARN HOW TO DEAL WITH THE DEMAND FOR PARKING

This article describes how three higher education campuses in the English Midlands are handling the increasing demand for parking space by staff, students and visitors. Financial constraints, and political and planning pressures, have contributed to moving parking provision lower down the list of British universities' and colleges' spending priorities. Despite the advent of student loans and some good public transport links, there seems to have been no significant reduction in car ownership or use among students. New purpose-built halls of residence find it easiest to provide for parking more generously. A major review of transport, traffic and parking on the campus of Birmingham University included traffic counts, physical surveys, and questionnaires to staff, students and other visitors, to establish travel patterns, preferences and problems. Although parking provision seemed adequate, new parking management measures were recommended. Loughborough University is expanding so rapidly that there is rising pressure on its campus road network and parking facilities. Its new traffic management strategy recommended some parking restrictions and more use of cycling.