Parking provides updates on leadership, operational changes

Metro town hall meetings planned in spring

As the semester and year come to a close, the Parking and Transportation team at Washington University in St. Louis provides an update on team shifts, operational changes and upcoming alerts for the campus community.

“We have made several leadership changes in Parking and Transportation over the last few weeks,” said Dedric Carter, vice chancellor for operations and technology transfer. “As many of you know, Gwen Bolden, formerly director of Parking and Transportation Services, is no longer with the university. As of the beginning of the second quarter, several team members were shifted into new roles in an effort to further increase team effectiveness.”

Stephanie Hunter was appointed acting manager of shuttle and mobility services, and Elisa Strathman Comer was appointed acting parking and events manager. Additionally, Marc Carlton, who leads the process improvement function within Carter’s organization, was appointed to lead a process improvement effort.

“A national search for a new director will begin in the spring,” Carter said. “In the interim, the group will report directly to me.”

The team also implemented several operational changes. The Campus Circulator hours have been extended to 4 a.m. Monday through Friday through the end of the semester. The university also added a dedicated shuttle to serve the 560 Music Center and reopened the Forest Park Parkway pedestrian bridge ahead of schedule.

Early next year, the university will make additional changes. To better serve the growing population of Danforth Campus students living east of Skinker Boulevard, the Parking and Transportation team will pilot changes to the Campus2Home service area at the start of the spring semester.

“We continue to review ways to meet the demands of our community with a diverse toolset to meet transportation needs to, through and around campus,” Carter said. “Over the next few weeks, the team will be gathering feedback from the community and reviewing a geographic analysis of student residences that will inform the plan, which will be shared in early 2019.”

The team also plans a series of Metro town halls this spring. “We will be sharing additional details in the near future but look forward to hearing from the campus community and encourage all students, faculty and staff to save the dates,” he said.

Exact locations will follow, but the town halls include:

  • 2 p.m. Feb. 4, Danforth Campus
  • 2 p.m. Feb. 11, North Campus
  • 2 p.m. Feb. 12, West Campus

Additional alerts

  • Zone 3 waitlist: The Parking and Transportation team has opened the waitlist for Zone 3. Availability notices have been distributed. All new requests will be placed on a fresh waitlist, which will be reviewed in early 2019.
  • West Campus parking: From now until the conclusion of construction on the east end of the Danforth Campus, construction workers will be permitted to park in a designated area in the lower lot at West Campus but they will not be permitted to ride the West Campus shuttle. ParkSmart permit holders are encouraged to park close to the building if possible.
  • Campus Circulator route: Starting Jan. 14, the Campus Circulator route will be slightly adjusted. The shuttle will turn to go to Forest Park Parkway at Throop, at the west end of the Millbrook Garage. The updated route map and schedule will be available starting Dec. 19 on the Campus Circulator webpage.
  • Holiday vehicle storage: The university offers on-campus vehicle storage in the Wallace garage. Students, faculty and staff who plan to leave a personal vehicle on campus for more than 72 hours during upcoming breaks may use the service. To arrange for vehicle storage, visit the Parking and Transportation office on North Campus (700 Rosedale) and complete a vehicle storage form to receive a storage placard. For more information, visit the Vehicle Storage webpage.

For more information about parking and transportation, visit parking.wustl.edu.