University Transportation and Parking Services and Facilities Management is thinking about the future of commuting and parking, even as the American Lung Association releases a report ranking the Sacramento area the 11th smoggiest region in the nation.

UTAPS will begin new measures this summer to help reduce the number of cars entering the Sacramento State campus and to bring more awareness to alternative forms of transportation.

Nancy Fox, manager of UTAPS, said that during New Student Orientations this summer, UTAPS plans to make a new PowerPoint presentation, “Transportation and Parking 101,” to educate incoming students about campus parking, alternative transportation and ways for students to get around if they don?t bring cars to campus.

“I think it will help talking to students before they come to campus about alternative forms of transportation such as the Regional Transit system, the Hornet Express, and our carpooling program,” Fox said.

“Educating students will be a great thing because hopefully fewer students will bring cars to campus, and it will help to improve the air quality,” she said.

Focusing on the future of alternative transportation and the environment, Fox said UTAPS will review installing charging stations on campus as interest in electric vehicles grows.

“I expect that we will move forward and install them within the next year,” Fox said.

The parking situation on campus will be slightly better next semester with the opening of Parking Structure II for the fall semester.

Associate Vice President of Facilities Management Matthew Altier said that construction for the new parking structure, located at the front of the University Union, is on schedule, and will bring a net total of 750 new parking spaces to campus.

“Parking Structure II will definitely be open for fall semester,” Altier said.

Altier said that there is discussion of a 3,000 space parking structure to be built in the near future, funding permitted.

He said that Facilities Management is working on a funding scenario and timeline for the proposed Parking Structure III.

“The state does not provide a penny for parking structures,” Altier said. “The only money available has to come from parking fees.”

Altier said he realizes that there is a parking problem on campus, and because funding for parking construction can only come from parking fees, it is difficult to come to a consensus that is agreeable for everyone.

“We understand the anger and frustration at higher student parking fees, but we have no other funding source.” Altier said. “We?re stuck in the middle.”

Altier said that Sac State has a 10-year campus master plan for future construction that includes plans to redesign the campus perimeter road.

The plan will redirect vehicle traffic around the outside perimeter road loop. Pedestrian traffic will then be concentrated in the center of the campus, according to Altier.

Altier said that Facilities Management will try to move this plan up on the list every year so that there will be funding for this within the next five to 10 years.

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