Master Plan FAQ

The goal of the new Master Plan is to provide safe and accessible parking for the whole campus community – and since you’re part of that community, the changes will directly and indirectly benefit you!  The comprehensive planning process will include these steps:

• Parking Needs Assessment, to measure the use of existing parking spaces and Campus-wide demand for parking
• Parking Alternatives Analysis to evaluate options for the replacement of central campus Garages C7 and C10
• Visitor Parking Assessment to improve visitor parking options, visitor parking policy and way-finding
• Operational Assessment of the Parking Department customer service, staffing, enforcement, equipment, financial condition and other aspects
• Parking Technology Assessment to improve customer experience and maximize performance measurements
• Parking Facility Conditions Assessment to identify current conditions and establish a 10-year facility maintenance and replacement plan
• Financial Analysis to evaluate future operational costs, fee structures and policies, sources of revenue, and financing options for future improvements
• Production of a Parking Department Master Plan that will guide Parking’s operations and facilities for the next 10 years

Walker Parking Consultants will guide the planning process. Walker Parking Consultants has extensive experience in helping large campuses make the most of limited space and financial resources. While Walker Parking Consultants will make recommendations, policy decisions that affect parking facilities and operations will be made by our Campus.

Garages C7 (at Sixth and John) and C10 (Fifth and Daniel) are rapidly approaching the end of their safe and useful lifespans. While some repairs have been made to ensure the continued safety and convenience of our customers, longer-term structural concerns must be addressed. The University of Illinois Parking Department and structural engineers have determined that both garages will need to be removed in the near future. The University of Illinois Parking Department will work with our C7 and C10 customers to solicit input, and to communicate any changes in a timely way.

Users of these two garages may have noticed that repairs have been made to the exterior brick, stair towers, handrails, and protective coatings.  However, the most pressing structural concern is less obvious to most garage users:  Elevated chloride content in the slabs is corroding the post-tensioned reinforcing steel strands. With the extent of this corrosion, the slabs cannot be repaired in a cost-effective way. The Parking Department has decided it is best to be proactive and start the planning process.

We will not know for certain until the Master Plan is completed. Based on previous repairs and condition assessments, C7 (Sixth and John) has less service life remaining. The consultants will take that into consideration when developing recommendations.

More than 700 Permit holders, departmental spaces and meters will be affected by these changes.

No decisions about alternate parking locations for C7 and C10 customers have yet been made. The University of Illinois Parking Department is working with Walker Parking Consultants to address the needs of all current permit-holders and other customers with as little disruption as possible.  Elsewhere on campus, additional lot space has been opened in recent years in anticipation of the need to temporarily relocate users of C7 and C10.  The University of Illinois Parking Department will provide frequent updates to customers of the central campus garages C7 and C10 until the project is complete.

As they guide us through the planning process, Walker Parking Consultants will help us determine how we can best serve our customers given the space and funding we have to work with. It is possible that one or more additional garages could be constructed on campus to replace the spaces lost with the removal of C7 and C10, but no decisions have been made as to whether, where or when that might happen. Before any replacement structure could be built, the University of Illinois Parking Department is required to have a realistic plan in place to finance its construction and operation.

The Master Plan is expected to be completed by late 2015. Recommendations on how to replace the spaces formerly located in C7 and C10 – whether through a new garage or some other alternative(s) – will be part of the plan.  Walker Parking Consultants’ first responsibility is to provide recommendations on whether and where to relocate C7 and C10.

Under State law, no tax monies may be used to support construction or maintenance of parking structures or surface lots on the U of I Campus. All University of Illinois Parking Department facilities and operations are required by State law to be self-supporting through user fees, space rentals, fines and other non-tax sources.

Bonds may be issued to fund large construction projects – however, bonds are a form of debt and issuers will not finance any project without realistic income projections that guarantee timely repayment of the amount borrowed. Plus, debt service on any new and previously issued bonds must not exceed a certain percentage of the University of Illinois Parking Department’s annual budget.

There is a possibility that rates may increase. Walker Parking Consultants is tasked with preparing an analysis of the current financial state of Parking and will propose parking improvements. 

The University of Illinois Parking Department and its consultants are working closely with stakeholder groups to ensure that the Master Plan considers individual users’ and department needs.

Several campus decision-makers – representing many departments and interests, including students, faculty and staff – are part of the Master Plan project steering committee. In addition, the steering committee and consultants will be seeking broader input through a survey that will be sent to all employees and students on campus in February. Results of the survey and stakeholder meetings will provide valuable input and data that will be used in developing the Master Plan.