Type: Parking Studies
Project Name: University Circle Parking Supply & Demand Study
City: Cleveland
State: Ohio
Client: University Circle, Inc.

Features: As part of an ongoing master planning effort in the University Circle area, University Circle Inc. desired to update the parking information contained in its 1990 master plan. DESMAN Associates was selected to produce a report summarizing the current parking supply and demand changes that had occurred since the 1990 study. After updating the information contained in the 1990 study, DESMAN worked with UCI to determine a better method of classifying the existing parking facilities in terms of their public utility and suggested ways in which facility management could be structured to better utilize the existing parking resources.

Description: University Circle Incorporated (UCI), located on the east side of Cleveland, is responsible for coordinating services such as policing and parking management for over 40 member institutions in the University Circle area. In terms of parking, UCI provides employee and visitor parking for those institutions that are unable to provide their own on-site parking and are willing to incorporate themselves into UCI?s Central Parking Operation (CPO). Due to the wide variety of institutions in the area, including museums, hospitals, Case Western Reserve University, and commercial and non-profit organizations, the task of coordinating parking services for the entire 10,000 space CPO system is a difficult one. UCI wished to gain a better understanding of the CPO and non-CPO parking supply in the area and work out some strategies for managing peak demand situations such as large museum shows.

To better analyze the area parking supply, DESMAN divided the University Circle district into eleven geographic zones based on similar land uses and parking demand characteristics. Within each zone, the CPO and non-CPO parking facilities were numerically verified and then separated into access categories based on their availability to serve the public parking demand, either as a private, reserved, semi-reserved or public facility. DESMAN also reviewed proposed developments in the area and projected future changes in the area that would be likely to affect the parking supply.

Because of a concurrent parking study being conducted at Case Western Reserve University, DESMAN did not seek to gather information relative to overall parking demand in the district. Rather, DESMAN suggested a management strategy whereby the institutions in the area could coordinate their activities and share their parking resources in order to avoid unnecessary and costly construction of new facilities and to bring a greater sense of unity and identity to the district. Starting with the creation of a ?Cultural District?, comprised of the museums and fine arts educational institutions, it was further suggested that visitor parking be operated and managed as a shared resource, with regular meetings among District members to discuss upcoming events. Based on these discussions, management strategies such as utilization of remote parking lots for employee parking, shuttle bus service, and provision of appropriate levels of support services could be employed.