The Ohio State University is an institution of Higher Education serving students, the university community, the Columbus area, the residents of the State of Ohio, and the national and international academic, research and medical communities. As a broadly based institution with many constituents, it is important for the University to provide reasonable access for all those who want to visit the University campus.
In order to meet the goal of reasonable access for all, the University has developed the following guiding principles.
PRINCIPLE 1: The Ohio State University has an obligation to preserve and enhance campus life for its many internal constituencies and also recognizes the importance of its numerous external publics.
- While vehicular access within the campus area is limited, Transportation & Parking Services strives to facilitate easy access to and around campus and to extend a feeling of welcome to all of its internal and external customers.
- The University recognizes the need to distinguish between short-term parking needs and all-day parking needs. To this end, short-term parking will be provided in central locations with all-day parking at the periphery of campus. This is consistent with wise land use, the Master Plan, and the University's overall goal to enhance the pedestrian environment.
PRINCIPLE 2: The University actively promotes and supports the use of multiple transportation modes for trips to and from the campus.
- The University gives precedence to pedestrians, buses, ride-sharing, bicycles and private vehicles, in that order.
- The University intends to manage vehicular transportation on campus and to provide and promote intra-campus transportation through the Campus Area Bus Service (CABS) rather than by private vehicle.
- CABS services will continually be tailored to meet customer needs and to reduce the use of personal vehicles on campus during the day.
- The University will continually work with other authorities and agencies such as COTA and MORPC to explore alternative methods of accessing campus.
PRINCIPLE 3: Transportation & Parking Services must be financially self-sufficient.
- Transportation & Parking Services must operate as a financially self-sufficient auxiliary department with short-term operating strategies and long-term capital plans.
- Increases in fees and service charges may be necessary to fund operations and contribute to reserves for capital improvements.
- Charges will be assessed for all parking spaces and services. As a matter of policy, if charges are not paid by the individual using the parking service, they must be paid or subsidized by a University unit, other University entity, or a sponsoring organization that benefits most directly from this service.
PRINCIPLE 4: Parking is a limited resource and a vital part of the University infrastructure.
- To facilitate access for all customer groups, parking needs must be considered when planning construction projects. Departments or programs that displace parking spaces or increase parking demand are obligated to contribute funds toward parking replacement and development costs. In cases where the program or project cannot bear parking and development costs, alternative funding resources must be identified.
- Replacement and new parking will be located where multiple needs are likely to be met.
- Accessible parking for individuals with disabilities will continue to be placed in convenient and suitable locations.
PRINCIPLE 5: The University has an obligation to solve its own parking and transportation issues and to avoid transferring them to surrounding neighborhoods.
PRINCIPLE 6: Transportation & Parking Services welcomes constructive ideas and suggestions from all members of the campus community.
- In all of its activities, Transportation & Parking Services seeks to work productively with individuals and groups, to gather information regularly on needs and satisfaction with services, to institute productive changes that are helpful, reasonable, and within the limitations of its budget, and to take corrective action promptly when activities are not accomplishing the state goals.
PRINCIPLE 7: Special events are an important part of the University's fabric and must be supported. However, displacement of typical parking and transportation services must be minimized so that those who bear the most significant financial burden for these services are treated fairly.
- It is the responsibility of any department or group requiring parking or transportation for events to notify Transportation & Parking Services well in advance so that accommodations may be made.
- Individual and group requests will be met to the extent possible given the resources, priorities and competing needs at the time.
PRINCIPLE 8: The management of Transportation & Parking Services is the management of scarce and valuable resources and therefore the overall good of the University takes precedence over individual requirements that may be in conflict with primary policies. Successfully accomplishing the goal of reasonable access for all requires cooperation, coordination and compromise.
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