Free parking only for traffic that needs to be on campus

The Executive Board approved a plan to regulate parking on campus so that the most important parking places are only available during the week for free for employees, students and people who need to be on campus. This regulation can be rolled out now that the Municipal Executive agreed to the so-called ‘withdrawal of public access’ of 2,509 parking places on campus at the end of September. This means that from now on TU Delft can decide who may park on campus and under what conditions.

Temporary solution
Spokesperson Eelco de Vries (Campus & Real Estate) explains that the campus’ six central parking areas will eventually get an electronic system such as a campus card that will distinguish drivers that need to be on campus and others who may only park there for a fee. Matrix signs will also be placed on the campus ring road directing drivers to available parking places so that the parking places are fully used. 

‘Reasonable that TU Delft can keep its own parking places for its own traffic’

It will just take a while before the systems are in place – probably the second quarter of 2022. Until then, the four busiest locations (P Aula, P Architecture and the Built Environment, P Rotterdamseweg and P Sports) will have barriers and parking stewards to relieve the parking pressure. During peak times they will only be available to drivers with a campus card and others who need to be on campus. This will probably take effect around mid-November. For a few months, until the new electronic system is introduced, the parking places will be free for anyone to use outside peak periods (weekdays between 07:00 and 15:00). 

No more than reasonable
Not all the residents in the area are happy with the new parking policy, as can be seen in the reactions (in Dutch) in newspaper AD. De Vries understands that people are unhappy that free parking in Delft is becoming ever scarcer. “But it is no more than reasonable that TU Delft is able to keep its own campus parking places for its own traffic.” That there are many ‘outside parkers’ became apparent during the corona time when the parking places at Architecture and the Built Environment were completely full despite the building being completely empty. De Vries says that “We are now addressing the situation, and doing it properly within the relevant procedures.”

 

Marieke Enter / Nieuwsredacteur