FALL 2023 PROPOSED PARKING PLAN
Stony Brook University is in the midst of multi-year plan to enhance the technology and infrastructure of parking services on campus. In order to achieve that vision, and support Stony Brook’s planned growth, the University and Hospital plans to transition to a paid parking model, anticipated to begin in the fall of 2023. Read more about our proposed plan below.
*Please note, there will be no changes for students for the Fall 2023 semester. If
you have any questions, please contact parkingchanges@stonybrook.edu. To register for a permit, please visit the "Parking Permits" page.
View our notification email to the campus community.
SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES
- Implement paid parking structure for all students, faculty and staff, tiering permit fees by location.
- Eliminate faculty/staff and commuter student zones. Have only designations of residential and commuter parking.
- Expand enforcement hours for all lots from 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. to 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
The new Mobility and Parking Services (MAPS) organizational structure combines operations
for all Stony Brook University campuses and centralized operations that are currently
spread across different departments throughout the university and medical center.
These changes include:
- Integration of Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) parking operations into Stony Brook University (SBU) operations.
- Movement of parking enforcement from University Police (UPD) to MAPS. The parking appeals process remains with UPD.
- Movement of permitting and customer service functions from Student Financial Services to MAPS.
TECHNOLOGY
Many of our current systems are at the end of their useful life, and new technologies
are available to both better manage operations and elevate the customer experience.
All of the systems work together to provide Business Intelligence which combines information
from all data systems to track patterns and metrics that can be used to drive decisions.
This results in a better customer experience, more efficient operations, data-driven
decision making, and flexibility for growth.
- Permit Software- Allows for permits to be sold in a variety of options by classification of customers. Current software has limitations regarding types of permits that can be sold as well as how that process takes place.
- Enforcement Software/Hardware- Seamlessly integrates a customer’s information when it comes to online payments. Allows for online appeals process and gives enforcement opportunity to issue one-time warning citations for individuals that have never had a citation.
- Mobile/Fixed License Plate Recognition (LPR)- Uses license plates to verify payment for parking through permit, meter, reservation or mobile payments. Increases compliance with parking rules and regulations, thereby ensuring adequate parking for all customers. Eliminates the need for a physical hangtag.
- Mobile Payments- Allows for payment by phone for metered parking; including extending time. Gives flexibility to charge back to a department if necessary.
- Multi-Space Meters- Upgrade current meters to allow for department validations and more control over operations (e.g., changing rates for special events, holidays, etc.).
- Event Parking- Allows for reservation of parking for specific days/times/locations. Gives flexibility to charge back to a department if necessary for visitor parking. Removes requirement to get physical permit in hand of a visitor.
- Vehicular Guidance- Provides real-time data to customers through web or app to identify where parking is available. Decreases customer frustration in finding parking, increases pedestrian safety in relation to less vehicular circling, and decreases the carbon footprint by decreasing traffic congestion.
FINANCIAL FORECAST WITH OPERATIONAL CHANGES
An outside agency, EFPR Group, CPAs, PPLC was engaged to perform agreed-upon procedures
on historical and forecasted financial information provided by the University. FY18/19
was used for operational expenses, as it was the last full year prior to COVID. The
process occurred prior to the end of FY21/22 and therefore current projections include
updated financial information. The following factors were taken under consideration when developing the pay-for-parking
structure:
- Implement a proposed tiered approach that will impact the high parking demand at the core of campus.
- Allow individuals to choose from different levels of proposed pricing.
- Allow access for faculty, staff and students at all levels.
- Create a financially sustainable model to properly maintain current garages/lots and support future construction.
It is important to note that currently 66% of all employees with parking permits are paying for parking; 96% on east campus and 14% on west campus. Rates have also not changed in over 30 years. As an example, the $16.24 rate in 1988 would equal $40.75 in 2022.
The plan consists of 5 proposed tiers of parking permits.
- Premium Parking: Garages and West Campus gated parking areas
- Core Parking: West Campus lots inside Circle Road
- Perimeter Parking: West Campus lots outside Circle Road, East Campus Surface Lots, South Campus and R&D Park lots around AERTC/CEWIT/IDC
- Satellite Parking: Lot 40 and R&D Park lots around RSS
- Residential: All Residential Zones
PROPOSED SPACE ALLOCATION
The assigned faculty/staff spaces and commuter spaces were reallocated to give opportunity
for individuals to choose from all tiers. In the Core Tier, 65% of the spaces were
allocated to faculty/staff. In the Satellite Tier, 70% of the spaces were allocated
to students. New technology will allow us to better evaluate space usage and make
adjustments as needed. Perimeter allocations were determined by location. Individuals
will be able to park in their tier or the ones below.
This proposed plan will eliminate assigned lots based on faculty/staff and commuter status. Parking will be available first-come, first-served by zone. This proposed change will maximize usage of the lots. Future vehicular guidance and digital way-finding technology will help assist individuals in finding open parking.
| SPACE COUNT | FACULTY/STAFF | COMMUTER | RESIDENTIAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium | 4,468 | 400 | 0 |
| Core | 1,892 | 1,019 | 0 |
| Perimeter - East Campus | 1,115 | 0 | 0 |
| Perimeter - Research & Development | 427 | 22 | 0 |
| Perimeter - South Campus | 390 | 43 | 0 |
| Perimeter - West Campus | 348 | 320 | 0 |
| Satellite - Research & Development | 222 | 334 | 0 |
| Satellite - West Campus | 755 | 1,763 | 0 |
| Residential | 0 | 0 | 2,469 |
| Total | 9,616 | 3,900 | 2,469 |
| Current Space Count | 9,441 | 3,813 | 2,469 |
This proposed plan will also expand the enforcement hours from 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. to
7 a.m. - 7 p.m. We are exploring discounted evening permit options for students, which
will allow access to the assigned tier beginning at 3 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Proposed initial allocation of spaces:
Faculty and Staff Permits: Faculty and staff currently paying for parking will be given first choice on whether to continue in their current location or make a change. Once those allocations are complete, permits will be offered to individuals based on their last hire date. This is consistent with the current allocation procedures at Stony Brook University Hospital. This process will continue until all faculty and staff have been processed. If faculty and staff do not get their first choice of tier, they can be placed on a waitlist (in order of last hire date). Once initial allocations are complete, future sales will be based on waitlist position or open facility selection.
Student Permits: All student permits will be sold on a semester basis which allows the cost of the permit to be spread throughout the year. Commuter student permits will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis and be billed to your student account. Residential permits will follow the current eligibility requirements. If space is available after the semester begins, residential permits will be sold on a lottery basis for first and second year students. East Campus facility student parking will continue to be coordinated with the academic health programs.
BENCHMARKING DATA
A benchmark was conducted with data from the SUNY system and AAU universities. It
is important to note that the SUNY universities are under the same conditions as Stony
Brook, with historically low parking charges, due to many factors.
The stars represent where our recommended rates would fall compared to other AAU
institutions.
The blue line represents minimum rates and orange line represents maximum rates.
SUNY Schools (5 including all University Centers):
- Student Parking
-
- All charged either a parking fee, vehicular registration fee or combined it as part of an overall transportation fee.
-
- Faculty and Staff
-
- All charged either a parking fee or vehicular registration fee.
-
AAU Schools (23)
- Comparison of AAU schools that were determined to be public, nonurban institutions. Urban institutions were determined by the The Coalition of Urban Serving Universities, USU, members, as well as any known large metropolitan areas.
- Minimum Rate ($120):
-
- Annual Averages- $258.77 for students and $274.94 for employees
- Percentage of peer institutions with a higher minimum rate than $120: 87% for students, 83% for employees
-
List of AAU Universities Included in Benchmark
|
|
Proposed Rates
| Tier Name | Parking Location | Employee Price | Student Price | Parking Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Premium Parking |
|
TBD |
TBD |
■■■■ |
|
Core Parking |
|
TBD |
TBD |
■■■ |
|
Perimeter Parking |
|
TBD |
TBD
|
■■ |
|
Satellite Parking |
|
TBD |
TBD |
■ |
|
Residential |
|
Residential staff members TBD |
TBD |
■ |
|
Visitor (Metered) Parking |
|
|
|
■ |
Proposed Map
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The proposed parking model would require that all individuals pay for parking. That payment may be either for a permit (faculty, staff, students, affiliates, etc.) or daily parking, such as in the garages or metered parking lots.
These proposed changes are currently in the negotiation process. The timeline will be communicated when finalized.
Capital and operational costs for parking have far outpaced the revenues generated for years, which means we have been operating with a deficit. Also negatively impacting the financial situation is that permit parking rates for University garage and Hospital facilities have not increased in over 30 years.
Additionally, Stony Brook’s parking services are self-funded, meaning that tuition dollars, student fees and SUNY funding are not allocated to support our operations.
The proposed changes are expected to repay the deficit, cover existing repairs, maintenance and capital expenses, and secure funding for future planned growth and customer service improvements. These changes will also align us with our peers in SUNY and comparable AAU institutions.
The transportation fee is a restricted account that supports on-campus transportation only, or initiatives that move people around campus - it does not cover parking. This fee covers operational costs for our transit system, and is also used to purchase buses and other equipment required to run our large transit network. The transportation fee also supports the Wolf Ride Bike Share program.
The transportation fee does not support maintenance costs for garages and surface lots across campus, nor would it cover future investments in technology that will make parking (and our operations) easier, faster and more efficient at Stony Brook.
Additionally, Stony Brook’s parking services are self-funded, meaning that tuition dollars, student fees and SUNY funding are not allocated to support our operations.
**UPDATED 2/15/23: To further clarify, based on questions we have received after the launch of this proposed plan ... in Fall 2022 we realigned our definition of the transportation fee in accordance with SUNY’s policy which states that "A Transportation Fee may be established for State-operated campuses serving a student base that requires transportation from one location to another. Revenue generated from the fee may be used to support the operation and maintenance of an infrastructure for this activity.
**UPDATE 5/17/23: In order to allow time for continued discussions, there will be no changes to the current studentparking structure for Fall 2023.
In order to provide the lowest possible rates across our entire parking portfolio, the proposed plan requires us to charge everyone for parking.
In order to provide the lowest possible rates across our entire parking portfolio, the proposed plan requires us to charge everyone for parking.
MAPS completed a benchmark with peer universities to ensure that our suggested parking rates were on par with comparable institutions. We found that compared to public, non-urban AAU institutions, 87% of these institutions have a higher minimum parking rate for students than our proposed plan, and 83% have a higher minimum parking rate for faculty and staff.
An outside agency, EFPR Group, CPAs, PPLC was engaged to perform agreed-upon procedures on historical and forecasted financial information provided by the University. Part of this process included verifying the mathematical accuracy of our space allocations and suggested rate models.
We then took the following factors into consideration when developing the rate structure:
- Allow individuals to choose from different levels of pricing
- Allow access to any parking location for students, faculty and staff at all levels
- Implement a tiered approach that will impact the high demand at the core of campus
- Ultimately establish a sustainable financial model to properly maintain current parking facilities and support future construction and customer service improvements
As mandated by the collective bargaining agreements, we will negotiate with union leadership regarding this proposed model.
The proposed model will allow you to park in any parking facility within the tier you select, as well as the tiers below your chosen tier. The proposal also includes the elimination of separate faculty, staff and commuter student parking facilities within a tier. All parking stalls within a tier would be first-come, first-served. MAPS also provides a campus-wide transportation network through the transit program and Wolf Ride Bike Share.
We plan to offer an evening/weekend pass to students that come to campus after 3 pm. This pass will be discounted off of the proposed tiered rate.
Proposed initial allocation of spaces will be prioritized in the following manner:
Faculty and Staff Permits: Faculty and staff currently paying for parking will be given first choice on whether to continue in their current location or make a change. Once those allocations are complete, permits will be offered to individuals based on their last hire date. This is consistent with the current allocation procedures at Stony Brook University Hospital. This process will continue until all faculty and staff have been processed. If faculty and staff do not get their first choice of tier, they can be placed on a waitlist (in order of last hire date). Once initial allocations are complete, future sales will be based on waitlist position or open facility selection.
Student Permits: All student permits will be sold on a semester basis which allows the cost of the permit to be spread throughout the year. Commuter student permits will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis and be billed to your student account. Residential permits will follow the current eligibility requirements. If space is available after the semester begins, residential permits will be sold on a lottery basis for first and second year students. East Campus facility student parking will continue to be coordinated with the academic health programs.
In this suggested model, faculty and staff will be able to join a waitlist for their desired tier. Individuals will be released from the waitlist to purchase parking as capacity becomes available.
For any student permit, if space becomes available in a sold-out tier, the option to purchase a permit will become available online.
Many of our current systems are at the end of their useful life, and new technologies are available to both better manage operations and elevate the customer experience. Here are just a few examples:
- New Permit & Enforcement Software (Anticipated Spring 2024)
-
- Allows you to purchase and return permits online.
- No need for a waitlist to manage sales capacities (e.g., we had to use waitlists for the premium commuter permit sales because we couldn’t cut off sales once the list reached a specific number).
- For those paying monthly, you would not have to wait for the current permit to expire in order to renew.
- Enforcement officers will have access to more information and customer history in the field to help determine when a warning or citation should be issued.
-
- License Plate Recognition (Anticipated Spring 2024)
-
- Move away from the physical hang tag as your proof of permit. Your vehicle license
plate becomes your permit (virtual permit). Here are some examples of the advantages
of virtual permitting:
-
- New employees will be able to purchase parking before arriving on campus their first day.
- No lost/stolen permits that can result in a citation.
- No longer have to move a physical hang tag between multiple vehicles.
- Increases compliance with parking rules, thereby ensuring adequate parking for all campus-wide.
-
- Move away from the physical hang tag as your proof of permit. Your vehicle license
plate becomes your permit (virtual permit). Here are some examples of the advantages
of virtual permitting:
-
- Mobile Payments (Anticipated Spring 2024)
-
- Allows for payment at metered spaces by phone.
- Provides mobile notification to the customer that time is expiring, so they can extend their time if necessary.
- Able to provide event parking in areas outside of metered locations with no physical permit requirement.
- Allows for departments to pay for guest parking by providing an assigned validation code.
-
- Updated multi-space meters (Anticipated Spring 2024)
-
- Flexibility to update meters with rate changes during holidays, events, etc.
- Allows for departments to pay for guest parking by providing an assigned validation code.
- Uses vehicle plates instead of stall numbers to verify payment which helps prevent citations during inclement weather or due to selecting the wrong stall number.
-
- Vehicular Guidance (Anticipated 2025)
-
- Provides real-time data to identify where parking is available through mobile app or digital wayfinding.
- Decreases vehicular circling to find a spot which helps with safety related to pedestrians and traffic flow.
- Decreases carbon footprint by reducing traffic congestion.
-
- New Permit & Enforcement Software (Anticipated Spring 2024)
Currently, we have different enforcement hours, based on the type of lot, which leads to confusion. We plan to align our enforcement hours to be 7am-7pm, Monday-Friday, for all surface parking lots on west campus.
East Campus facilities will continue to be enforced 24 hours, 7 days a week. The Administrative Garage will be enforced Monday-Thursday, 7am-11pm and Friday, 7am-6pm.
Restricted Areas will continue to be enforced 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Parking is prohibited on:
- All roadways
- Fire lanes
- Sidewalks
- Grass areas
- Loading docks without proper permit
- Spaces designated for clinic patients, motorcycles, persons with disabilities, service or state vehicles and other signed reserved spaces without proper permit/placard
No person shall park a vehicle on the premises of the University in such manner as to interfere with the use of a fire hydrant, fire lane, or other emergency zone; create any other hazard or unreasonably interfere with the free and proper use of a roadway or pedestrian way.
Special events may impact hours of enforcement. Notification of changes in enforcement hours will be publicized.
Mobility and Parking Services (MAPS) has been in existence for eighteen months. Prior to that, parking and transportation services were managed in a decentralized manner across various parts of the University and Hospital. Now, with a dedicated team, we can more appropriately plan for the future and better support our world-class institution and community.
The details of this proposed tiered parking model are currently under discussion with Union leadership and other campus stakeholders.
We encourage our campus community members to contact their individual representation from the various unions. Our MAPS leadership team is also working with campus governance groups to gather feedback. You may also submit feedback here.
All proposed rates are subject to negotiation, but we recognize our ADA parkers are an important part of this proposed plan and will ensure that OEA and SASC will be part of the conversation as we progress.
Parkers will be able to add or remove vehicles from their account, including temporary vehicles, e.g., rentals.
GET IN TOUCH
Contact our team or your Union representatives.