ACT Plans for 3,030 More Spaces by 2010

UNC's Advisory Committee on Transportation finalized Wednesday its recommendations for a long-term parking and transportation plan that includes construction of several new parking decks and a salary-based sliding scale for permit pricing.

The proposal will be sent to the vice chancellor's advisory committee Tuesday before the final recommendations are sent to the UNC Board of Trustees within the next few months.

The plan includes suggestions to address parking demands until 2010 by constructing several parking decks, resulting in an additional 3,030 parking spaces.

ACT's proposal is divided into issues relating to traffic, parking, alternative transportation and management practices. The draft being sent to the vice chancellor's committee includes five recommended intersection improvements and modest roadway improvements at congested areas around campus.

The committee primarily is focusing on the intersections of Manning Drive and Fordham Boulevard, South Road and Country Club Road, South Road and Columbia Street, Mason Farm Road and Columbia Street, and Cameron Avenue and Columbia Street.

At these intersections, ACT recommends the addition of turning lanes and the re-timing of traffic signals. But more drastic improvements, such as the widening of Columbia Street, will be put off for further review.

ACT's proposal also departs from the Development Plan, the University's eight-year plan for growth, in its recommendation for new parking decks. The most significant suggestion was that UNC defer construction of the Manning parking deck, where, the proposal states, the new parking spaces would be underused because the site is undesirable to commuters.

Instead, ACT recommended the construction of parking decks at Cobb and Jackson Place, which it believes would offer more appealing parking locations.

Another change includes controlling the use of the Dogwood deck to open spaces exclusively to visitors and patients at UNC Hospitals.

ACT's proposal also looks to improve alternative campus transportation by establishing a committee composed of representatives from the University, Chapel Hill Transit and the Triangle Transit Authority. In addition, the proposal looks to improve transit route coverage and hours of operation.

The committee also suggests the establishment of 400 new park-and-ride spaces on U.S. 15-501 North and 200 spaces on U.S. 15-501 South.

To help pay for these projects, ACT's proposal recommends several modifications to parking policies, including the implementation of a sliding scale for permit pricing that is based on salary.

Students and employees earning less than $50,000 per year would see an annual price increase of up to 5 percent.

Employees earning between $50,000 and $100,000 would pay up to a 10 percent annual increase.

All employees with salaries of more than $100,000 would pay an annual price increase of up to 20 percent.

Dean Bresciani, interim vice chancellor for student affairs, said this recommendation probably will get the most attention because of the principle behind any price increase.

Despite all of the competing agendas involved in the committee's process, Bresciani said the proposal includes many compromises.

"It has been an extremely tension-filled process," he said. "But (the proposal) is positive and well-developed, and we are as close to a consensus that I have ever seen."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.