As campus planners work to “pedestrianize” WSU, long-term development plans would increasingly push parking and vehicle access to the outskirts of campus, forcing commuters to find alternatives and creating new challenges for visitors with disabilities.

The Glenn Terrell Friendship Mall and Library Road bollards provide the latest example of this issue. Transportation Services Director John Shaheen said they stop drivers from cutting through campus to maintain the safety of the pedestrian areas.

But the bollards created an unintentional side effect. They limit the mobility of the Access Center’s Cougar Accessible Transportation (CAT) vehicles and the City of Pullman’s Dial-A-Ride vehicles, said Meredyth Goodwin, director of the Access Center.

CAT drivers used to be able to drive through all of Library Road, Goodwin said, dropping off students of limited ability close to the center of campus. The restrictions added between five and 10 minutes to the trip for drivers who need to reach opposite sides of the bollards.

“It’s doable,” she said. “But if more students were to ask for rides, it would become problematic.”

Goodwin said in areas beyond transportation and parking, access can become an afterthought. She said she hopes the Access Center can be a part of the decision-making process when it comes to campus development and access. But according to the Master Plan (last updated in 2012, and before that in 2010), decision makers did not contact the Access Center.

The plan also proposed closure of Stadium Way between North Fairway Road and Grimes Way to create another pedestrian mall.

The construction of the Digital Classroom building led to less parking near the Access Center itself.

“Students with and without mobility challenges are facing issues with parking,” Goodwin said.

The Master Plan anticipates a steady rise in demand of parking and a steady fall in its availability over the next decade. The plan predicts a total loss of 4,300 parking spaces by 2030.

Currently, about a quarter of the student body parks on campus, Shaheen said, which amounts to about 5,000 students this year. The Master Plan predicts a quarter of the 2020 student body will be about 5,300 and a quarter of 2030’s will be 6,500.

Right now, there is an overall surplus of parking but localized shortages, Shaheen said. Parking is tight on the west side of campus around Main Street and Colorado Street, and more open on the east side where parking lots are a bit further from the center of campus.

However, he said, the expected construction of a research building between the Vogel Plant Bioscience and Biotechnology and Life Sciences buildings will cost about 100 parking spaces on the east side. Shaheen said between parking lots and buildings, an academic building will always be a better use for the land.

He said while Transportation Services should be able to provide adequate parking through 2024, localized shortages will continue to exist as lots are replaced with buildings.

“We are kind of at a crossroads with the buildings taking existing parking,” Shaheen said.

Building parking garages on campus could alleviate localized shortages in the center of campus, according to the Master Plan, but they cost 10 times more to build and maintain than parking lots.

“We have to continue to provide parking,” Shaheen said, “but aggressively provide alternatives that are attractive.”

The Master Plan aims to overcome parking challenges mainly through increasing the amount of students choosing alternatives such as walking, biking and carpooling to campus.

Transportation Services does not receive funding from the state, Shaheen said. It is completely self-supported, with fees and fines providing the revenue. If students want parking structures on campus, he said, they must be willing to pay more in fees.

Some cities and universities, like Spokane and UCLA, are experimenting with “smart parking,” said Kim Zentz, director of the engineering and technology management graduate program at WSU. Smart parking uses sensors to indicate available parking spaces and their cost.

A smart parking lot has a high initial cost, she said, but it gives managers the opportunity to set variable prices. During a big event, the prices can increase alongside demand.

“It really depends on building a consensus in the community about what kind of parking they want,” Shaheen said. “If they want parking rates to be low, we need remote parking and alternatives. If they are willing to pay for a garage, we can facilitate that too.”

The Master Plan outlines a low-cost park-and-ride service. This strategy includes building large, remote parking lots where drivers can park and then ride the bus to campus. However, according to the plan, “(remote lots would) serve primarily as resident student vehicle storage but could also serve as a low-price parking alternative.”

Shaheen said he prefers a balanced approach between providing parking on campus and at remote locations. He also said it is important to keep in mind how parking needs change as things like fuel prices and students’ lifestyles change.

“The Master Plan is a living document,” said Don Hulst, chair of the Capital Planning and Development Committee. “The long-term plan will change with the university’s needs.”

He said people need to be prepared to live through periods of construction and transition as the university grows.