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PARKING > FAQs Parking
 
 

C-Park

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 

   General

   Auction

   Transponders

   Reserved


Why are you doing this?

The C-Park plan, which features the Argyros Lot, Villa Park Orchard (VPO) Lot and Reserved parking auctions, are being held to address concerns that were raised in the most recent Student Satisfaction Survey.  Although the Chapman campus has an overall surplus of parking spaces, many commuter students have said that they are not able to find a convenient central parking space at peak times of the day; that they waste time and effort driving through all levels of these structures and are then often forced to go to other outlying university parking lots to find a space; and that they periodically get to class late because of this.  One way to address this problem would be to build a new parking structure.  However, this is a very expensive solution that would cost millions in debt financing to construct.  Also, it would result in a very drastic increase in parking fees for everyone, which is not something that anyone wants right now.  The auctions, along with other C-Park initiatives, will at least start to address the immediate problem right away – the plan will let the market decide what the value of a Reserved permit or a permit in the central Argyros Lot is.  Once permits are distributed, the number of space-seekers in the Argyros Lot will be limited to just those who hold permits, which we hope will minimize – at least for some -- the problem of endless searching for a peak-time, central parking space.  For fall 2011, the Argyros Lot will be off-line and unavailable via auction.  Spring 2012 access should be available via auction during the month of January depending on the status of the Argyros Forum expansion project. 

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Do I need to enter the auction to get a Chapman parking permit?
No.  You would only enter an auction if you wanted a reserved parking space or the low-cost VPO permit.

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I heard there was going to be a much bigger auction for all of the Lastinger and Barrera spaces – is that true?

No.  After some analysis, discussions and feedback from many constituents, the auction parking locations have been determined to be the Argyros Lot and the Villa Park Orchard (VPO) Lot.

 

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So there is not a problem with the number of parking spaces at Chapman – the issue you’re trying to address is students’ desire to park centrally during peak times?

Exactly.  Chapman fully complies with all City of Orange requirements for the provision of parking spaces, and demonstrates the effectiveness of its parking program each year by hiring a respected independent traffic engineering firm to conduct a study and submit a report to the city with supporting documentation.

 

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So if I’m a student who lives in the residence halls, I don’t need to participate in the auction?
Correct.  You have your own permit parking in the residence halls complex.

 

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What if I don’t drive a car to campus?
If you don’t have a car and don’t drive to campus, you can have the parking fee waived – this has been the situation in the past and will continue to be so.  If you are taking alternative transportation (train or bus), you may qualify for the new rideshare incentives  we’re initiating this semester!

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Has Chapman considered alternative solutions other than doing a parking auction?
Yes, and carefully.  But we think the C-Park auctions are an innovative approach to address student concerns, based on proven economic principles.

Here are some of the other options we have considered:

·        Build a new central-campus parking structure - addressed at length below, but in essence, too expensive right now, and would raise fees for everyone. 

·         Stacked parking/valet parking – possible, and we may want to implement this at some point if further congestion relief is needed. 

·         Encourage alternative transportation to campus (bus, train, carpool) to relieve demand – We are adding initiatives for alternative transportation to the C-Park plan. 

·         Shift more classes to earlier or later start times so people aren’t so crowded-in during the peak hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.   Possible, but it’s a long process that calls for more input from students and faculty. 

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How much would it cost to just build a new centrally located parking structure?  Wouldn’t that solve everything? 

The typical cost of a new 500-space surface lot today would be around $3 million, or about $6,000 per space.  A new 500-space, 5-level above-ground structure would cost around $7.5 million, or about $15,000 per space.  A new subterranean structure would cost about $27,500 per space (so a 500-space underground structure, about half the size of Lastinger, would cost around $13.75 million).  Parking fees would have to go up considerably, for everyone.  Also, new construction is not a quick solution. The university would need to work closely with the city to green-light the structure; then it would need to be designed and built.  And that’s not even getting into the impact that major construction always causes for neighbors and campus community members alike.  That’s why we think the auction is a more reasonable and innovative solution to the immediate problem, and so warrants a try. 

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This new system doesn’t seem fair and equitable!  Only the rich get to park in the Argyros Lot and Reserved spots!  
It’s difficult, if not impossible, to design a parking system that everyone will be happy with.  We already know that, while we have enough total parking spaces to accommodate everyone, the system we have still isn’t completely  satisfactory to our primary customers: those whose tuition payments fund a large proportion of the university’s annual operations.  So change is necessary to try to improve things.  With C-Park, some commuter students who can only arrive at, say, midday, will now have a fighting chance to park in a convenient central location when they were unable to do so in the past.  So yes, it’s true that this more central and convenient parking location will likely cost more, but the alternative solutions seemed more unpalatable because of the associated costs to all. 

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So why don’t we just have a First-Come, First-Served (FCFS) system?  That seems fair to all.
Actually, when you think about it, FCFS is not really fair to all.  And it’s pretty much what we’ve always had before.  What about students or faculty who can’t get to campus until the midday peak parking time and really have no opportunity to land a central space in, say, Lastinger or Argyros?  Under the C-Park system, at least some of those folks will now have more of a chance.

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I hate change!  Why can’t we have the same parking plan we had last year?
Change can be good.  And really, there can be no progress without change.  This is a first step toward solving a growing problem.  We had two choices: we could do nothing, let the problem fester and get worse, and let everyone get more frustrated.  Or we could do something.  We chose to do something.  Yes, it’s something new and different.  It is, admittedly, an experiment.  But if it works, then it will alleviate congestion and search time, at least for some. 

 

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I'm a student and I already paid for fall parking when I registered – does that mean I don’t need to participate in the auction? 

Probably. However, if you do want to park in the Argyros Lot, or take advantage of the low-cost option of a VPO permit, you must participate in the auction.  Otherwise, your annual parking fee gives you access to many of the other lots on campus just like last year. 

 

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I am disabled and need to park in Argyros.  Do I need to participate in the auction?
No.  You will obtain a permit just as last year and you will also receive a transponder allowing you to park in virtually any Chapman parking facility. 

 

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I heard that if I bid on and win a permit to park in Argyros, I will also be permitted to park in other lots elsewhere on campus.  True?

True, to a point.  Argyros is the top of the parking food chain (except for Reserved).  So if you get an Argyros permit, you will also be allowed to park in Argyros, Barrera, Lastinger, Knott, Cypress, etc., if you need to.  You won’t be allowed to park in Residential lots, Reserved spaces, or visitor only lots. Check out the Parking Map for more information. 

 

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I’ll bet President Doti and Chancellor Struppa don’t have to participate in the auction.  They get free parking spaces, right?

Not true.  The president, the chancellor and all senior university staff who bring a vehicle to campus will participate in an auction.   Most senior staff park in the Memorial lot, which is a Reserved lot.  So they’ll probably be bidding on Reserved spaces.  However, it’s up to them if they choose to participate in the Argyros auction.

 

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Speaking of the Memorial lot, I usually see some empty spaces in there – what gives?

While some senior staff park in the Memorial lot, the spaces are mostly there for VIPs, trustees and governors, and visitors to the president, chancellor and other Memorial Hall offices.  So you may see some empty spaces in there at certain times of day.  But during board meetings, board committee meetings and other VIP activities, the lot will indeed be full.


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Chapman is making a lot of money off this auction, right?  Isn’t this just another way to make money?
Actually, no.  Parking is not a money-making proposition at Chapman.  It is a necessary and important service that we provide.  When you add it all up, the cost of providing and maintaining parking facilities is much more than the revenue we receive from parking permits, citations, meters and special events. See data here. So, Chapman really subsidizes annual costs associated with campus parking so that individual members of the campus community do not full bear the expenses. Additionally, this year we’re subsidizing alternative transportation incentives, which we haven’t done before.  But that’s OK – this is all part of the “cost of doing business,” and we think it’s a good thing to do.  The purpose of this auction is primarily to help alleviate congestion and reduce search time at peak times of the day in the central campus area.  So please don’t be too cynical!  We’re actually trying to do something good here.


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Can I park in the Argyros Lot after 4 p.m., even if I don’t have an Argyros permit?
Yes!  It’s the same policy as last year and holds true for almost all of the Chapman parking facilities.  After 4 p.m., if you have a valid Chapman parking permit, you may park in most Chapman parking facilities, such as Argyros, Lastinger, Barrera, Knott, etc.

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Is it true that visitors won’t be able to park in the Lastinger and Barrera structures any more?  If so, where can they park? 

Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitor parking will be available in the Cypress, Knott Studios and Orange lots. After 4 p.m. weekdays and all day on weekends, visitors, with valid parking permits, will be able to park in the Lastinger and Barrera structures.

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What happens to the previously designated “Faculty Only” spaces?
For fall semester, there will be 59  “faculty only” designated spaces on campus. The Hashinger lot will be devoted primarily to faculty parking along with some disabled spaces and in the Barrera parking structure there will be 25 faculty only spaces on the west wall of Level 3.  There will also be 10 faculty only spaces in the Knott Studios Lot.  The Barrera and Knott spaces will be reserved for faculty only on M-F, between the hours of 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.  During peak demand class hours – from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. – any of these spaces, not filled by a faculty member with the appropriate permit, will be available to any member of the campus community (i.e. student, staff or faculty) with the appropriate permit. The Hashinger faculty spaces will be reserved for faculty M-F, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., however, the disabled spaces have no time restrictions and are open to any vehicle displaying a disabled placard and a valid university permit; the same as for all disabled spaces on campus.

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Who can bid in the auction? 
Commuter students, faculty and staff who wish to park in the centrally located Argyros Lot, those wishing to take advantage of the new low-cost VPO permit, and those who wish to purchase Reserved spaces.

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What, exactly, is being auctioned?

For the fall 2011 semester, annual permits for the VPO Lot and annual permits for a reserved space are being auctioned off.

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If I participate in the auction and am a successful bidder, do I have that Argyros permit for the whole year? 

No.  Right now there is no Argyros permit auction but if there were, you would only be bidding on access for one semester.

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How will you know if the Argyros auction actually helped and was successful?

We’ll ask.  We’ll solicit specific feedback from Argyros permit holders and others through surveys and focus groups.  That way we’ll get some idea of what went well and what can be improved.  Also, we do not expect that the annual Student Satisfaction Survey – to be held in Fall ’09 – will show a marked improvement over the results of last year.  It will likely require more time and experience with the auctions and all of the C-Park initiatives before we see a marked improvement; hopefully in the Fall ’11 survey.


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I heard a rumor that parking spaces in Argyros Lot are going to be auctioned off like eBay where the winning bid could get really high - is that true??
No, not really.  There will be no auction during the fall 2011 semester but the auction works in the following manner.  The auction for spaces in Argyros is what’s called a “falling-price auction,” and you are only bidding the “premium” you would pay over and above the $300 annual permit fee.  You can find a whole tutorial about it on this site.  What it means, essentially, is that the auction price -- or premium -- starts high and keeps dropping until all units are sold or it reaches the minimum premium of $0.  Just bid what the parking space is worth to you above the regular permit price. If you bid $50 and the falling-price auction falls below that price, then you will win.  If the clock stops on the auction before it reaches $50 (because all of the permits have been spoken for by higher bids), then you will not get a permit to park in Argyros.  So bid early (time of bid will be a tie-breaker) and bid what the space is worth to you. 


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So only the Argyros Lot is being auctioned? 

Not during the fall 2011 semester.  The Argyros Auction will return for the spring 2012 semester.  There is an auction for Reserved spaces, but it is for a limited number of parking spaces which can be located in any of a number of parking facilities around campus.  There is also an auction for spaces in the Villa Park Orchard (VPO) Lot located at the corner of Palm Avenue and Cypress Street adjacent to the film school.

 

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So if I want to park in Argyros, I have to join the auction?

The Argyros Lot is off-line for the fall 2011 semester.  If you want to park in this lot for the spring 2012 you will need to enter the auction in January 2012.  If you don’t participate in the auction, you will NOT be allowed to park in Argyros during the restricted hours of Monday - Friday, 7 AM - 4 PM.

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Does that go for faculty and staff as well as students? 
Yes.  Everybody will need to participate in the auction if they want to park in Argyros.

 

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So if I bid, do I get my own parking space? 

Only if you bid in the Reserved auction.  If you bid in the VPO auction, what you will get is a permit to park in that location only if you successfully bid in the auction and win.  It’s a searching license; a space cannot be guaranteed.  But since now only people who won permits in the auction will be allowed to enter and look for a space, the search time should be less. If you own an VPO Permit, but are unable to find an empty space, you can park in the Cypress Lot. 

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Online auctions scare me!   What if I end up paying more than I want? 

We’ve tried to make the online Auction interface as easy and user-friendly as possible – you’ll see.  And there’s no way you will end up paying more than you bid.  Your bid is your bid.  If your bid is high enough, you will either pay what you bid, or you could end up paying less.  If your bid is too low, you just won’t receive a permit to park in the Argyros lot. Check out the Auction Tutorial to see how it works.  

 

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What happens if I’m at class or at work and can’t place a bid when the auction starts? Also, I don’t want to have to keep checking in and babysitting this auction!  

 No worries. You can get into the auction and place a bid BEFORE the "clock ticking" part of the auction begins. For the Reserved Space and VPO auctions, you can actually bid starting on August 22, and the auction clock will start at 10 a.m. on August 31. You can bid any time during the auction, but it’s wise to bid as early as you can, as tie bids will be recorded by time stamp (that is, the earlier bid will beat the later bid, all else being equal). If you bid high, you probably won’t need to worry about checking in on your bid as much, but that’s up to you. Because the price ticks down until all permits are gone or the base price is reached, you will only pay what the ending price is. See the Auction Tutorial for more details.  

 

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Is the price I bid in the parking auction the total parking permit cost, or a premium price ABOVE the base price?

For the Reserved Space Auction, your bid is only for the premium above the “regular” permit fee.  It represents the extra amount you’re willing to pay  -- above the basic $300 annual permit price -- for the right to park in a reserved space for the full academic year.  An annual permit is not required in addition to the VPO permit and fees will be adjusted for those successfully participating in the auction.  The final bid price will not exceed $50.

 

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What happens when I win the auction?  What do I need to do then? 

 After the auction has ended, you will receive e-mail notification from Parking Services containing detailed instructions on how to proceed.

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What happens if I don’t win the auction? 

 You’ll simply use your regular parking permit to park wherever that permit normally allows you.  You just won’t be able to park in the Argyros Lot, VPO Lot or a reserved space during restricted hours.

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I hear that transponders are being issued to everyone along with our regular parking permit stickers.  What are they and why do we need them?

We’re taking new steps in parking automation this fall by introducing a transponder system in several parking facilities.  A transponder is an electronic ID tag about the size of a credit card that, along with your sticker, you’ll keep in your car when parking at Chapman. The tag will allow you into and out of the gated parking facilities since it will be recognized by a reader at the parking entrances and exits. This will help improve both security and enforcement, and it will help us better understand parking patterns.  That, in turn, will assist us in planning and designing future C-Park initiatives. Anyone who wishes to park in the Lastinger or Barrera parking structures or the Argyros lot will need the transponders to gain access through the entrance gates. 

 

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Who gets a transponder? 
Transponders will be handed out to anyone issued a Commuter, Faculty, or Staff permit. Resident and Ancillary permit holders will not be issued transponders

 

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Is there a fee for a transponder?

There is no deposit fee associated with the transponder. However there is a replacement fee of $25 if you misplace it.

 

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What has changed with the reserved parking permits in '11-'12?

Reserved spaces are restricted to the space holder 24-7 except for Commencement weekend or special circumstance as determined by Parking Services.                                                                                                              ^Back to Top^

 


Where are the Reserved Parking Spaces?
The owner of a Reserved permit may choose the location of their parking space. The parking space may be located in any parking facility except Memorial, Hashinger, Public Safety, Orange or the Residential facilities.  The order of selection of the reserved spaces will be determined by the bid value:  The winner with the highest winning bid will select first and so on.  In the case of identical winning bids, the individual with the earliest auction time/date stamp will select first.

 

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