I know from previous information provided by McMaster Parking that the busiest parking time was 1pm on Tuesdays. That data was from 2011. Work is underway to study the parking situation to develop a Transportation Demand Management plan and those people will have access to parking data, but still I felt the need/desire to go look for myself.
Right now McMaster has agreed not to repave a section of Lot M (would hold about 200 cars) after some professors made a plea to use the redundant parking area as an outdoor laboratory to study and practice wetland rehabilitation. McMaster left it as gravel, painted some yellow parking stalls, and have it for peak/overflow parking. The argument to keep it as parking is pretty weak, as you will see, so hope for McMarsh remains strong.
I set out on my bicycle to check out the parking lot at peak. As I crested the hill at about 1:05pm the lot looked busy, but as I got closer any fears I had that the overflow lot was busy evaporated.
There was one car there, beside 3 empty school buses. 1:10pm. That's it.
And then I went to the adjacent paved lot (to the left in the photo), and videotaped as I rode up and down the two nearest aisles to record the number of empty parking spaces: 52 empty stalls.
Keep in mind, too, that another section of the parking lot (Lot O) is closed temporarily (for a couple years) to house the daycare centre in portables while a new building is constructed on the main campus, plus the 30 metre buffer is in place. This was the worst case scenario for the parking office, yet it is working well by all appearances. It looks like they could easily do without the section of Lot M currently set aside for overflow. Home for McMarsh!
TOTAL PARKING STALLS: 3963
PEAK DEMAND: 2803 vehicles
With no new numbers available for peak demand I'm assuming peak demand at 2803 vehicles (69% of supply), from the Campus Capacity study.
SCENARIO: Worst case for Parking (pd=peak demand)
30 Metre BUFFER (480 spaces lost) PLUS LOT O OUT OF COMMISSION (122 spaces lost)
3963-480=3483-122=3361
(pd@2803 is 83% of supply, or 558 extra spaces at peak)
Right now McMaster has agreed not to repave a section of Lot M (would hold about 200 cars) after some professors made a plea to use the redundant parking area as an outdoor laboratory to study and practice wetland rehabilitation. McMaster left it as gravel, painted some yellow parking stalls, and have it for peak/overflow parking. The argument to keep it as parking is pretty weak, as you will see, so hope for McMarsh remains strong.
I set out on my bicycle to check out the parking lot at peak. As I crested the hill at about 1:05pm the lot looked busy, but as I got closer any fears I had that the overflow lot was busy evaporated.
There was one car there, beside 3 empty school buses. 1:10pm. That's it.And then I went to the adjacent paved lot (to the left in the photo), and videotaped as I rode up and down the two nearest aisles to record the number of empty parking spaces: 52 empty stalls.
WORST CASE SCENARIO: not so bad!
MCMASTER CAPACITY STUDY APRIL 2011TOTAL PARKING STALLS: 3963
PEAK DEMAND: 2803 vehicles
With no new numbers available for peak demand I'm assuming peak demand at 2803 vehicles (69% of supply), from the Campus Capacity study.
SCENARIO: Worst case for Parking (pd=peak demand)
30 Metre BUFFER (480 spaces lost) PLUS LOT O OUT OF COMMISSION (122 spaces lost)
3963-480=3483-122=3361
(pd@2803 is 83% of supply, or 558 extra spaces at peak)
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