Why do we have to pay for parking?
It’s a common question with a complex answer. The word last week that parking rates will increase July 1 was understandably unwelcome news for everyone who pays to park at the UNMC/Nebraska Medicine campus. The 6 percent increase equates to about $2 per month in most campus parking lots. Here are answers to some of the frequently asked parking questions:
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- Why do I have to pay to park?
- The med center is unique in Omaha. It takes up several city blocks with densely packed and populated buildings. There is no other local organization that faces the same types of challenges. That unfortunately means the University of Nebraska, which manages all on-campus parking, is constantly working to keep up with demand.
- Staff members who are able can choose not to park on campus. The new TravelSmart program is designed to give you free alternatives to parking.
- Why don’t other health care organizations charge employees to park?
- There’s always a cost associated with parking. People who work for other organizations in Omaha may not see the cost in their pay statements, but the cost is there.
- Only med center employees who park on campus have to pay for it.
- Can’t we build more parking?
- A new parking structure is being built on campus. It will be across the street from Clarkson Tower.
- New parking does not come cheaply and ends up adding to the cost of parking. If a new hospital or clinic building goes up, it will eventually pay for itself through revenue. There is no way for a parking lot to pay for itself.
- Why don’t UNMC/Nebraska Medicine employees who work in different locations have to pay to park?
- Other locations do not have the same employee, student and patient population and the parking infrastructure needed to accommodate all those people in one area.
- Where does the money go?
- Parking fees are not a revenue generator for the med center. The biggest piece of the parking pie goes to cover the cost of parking garage construction. Click here to see details about the anatomy of parking fees.
If a new hospital or clinic goes up, shouldn't the architects automatically put a parking lot next to or near the building? If not for employee parking, then especially for visitor parking? There have been a lot of buildings go up since I started here and a majority of them have not had parking built with them which has been an unintelligent decision.
No one is every happy when rates increase. However, I was one of the unlucky employees forced to change my parking this past week when lot 27 was closed. My parking rates increased $7 a month before the notice that all rates will increase. I did not choose to change my lot, but am being charged more to park in an uncovered lot that is farther away from the building I work in. This is the issue that is truly unfair and isn't being addressed by anyone.
The problem is the 6% increase is bigger than our raises
I think it's a bit disingenuous to say "The Cost is always there" because my last place of employment, had parking right at the door and I was paid the same with the same benefits… most business view parking as the cost of doing business and it's not attached to the employee as a debt.
What I would like to know is what is the parking plan for UNMC because this doesn't just effect employees but it affects customers too. Looking at the parking around campus it doesn't appear there is a good enough plan in place to address the need, and it would appear parking needs to be a separate plan of its own to address amount of parking, distance for employee/customer to get to where they need to be, and ease of getting in/out of.
Lastly, I had suggested an idea to help cover costs of parking (This idea comes from both UNL and a fellow co-worker) and that is, start planning/developing parking structures that allow for the first floor to be office/retail space at the street level, and charge lease/rent to cover that space and part/all of the parking structure. It would help bring much needed businesses within the core of UNMC (Restaurants, shops, etc) and help offset the Bond Debt you show on the graph.
I would like to know what the future plan – short term and longterm – for Lot 50 once the connecting walkway is complete? I currently park in lot 50. Before I renew my parking, I would like an honest answer as to whether employees will be parking there in the near and/or distant future. I may seriously look into some of the Travel Smart programs or other parking alternatives if I have to move to another lot.
Just curious as to the odds of any of our comments being addressed/answered/argued on here? Anyone?