TU Delft introduces paid parking between 08:00 and 18:00

TU Delft has been working on a new parking policy since 2020. It was announced at the end of 2021 that visitors and people living in the area would have to pay for parking. It is now clear that paid parking will only apply during business hours, from 8am to 6pm.

Before this takes effect, the Campus Real Estate & Facility Management (CREFM) department – that is responsible for the parking policy – will make some physical changes to the campus grounds. This includes installing a dynamic route information system that guides cars to available parking spaces and electricity for barriers and payment terminals.

April
This will probably be ready in April, although the CREFM Department is not ruling out a delay. “We still need to communicate the exact date that it will go live,” said spokesperson Eelco de Vries. The plans have been delayed a few times because of the Covid crisis and the worldwide shortage of materials such as chips.

Staff members and students will be able to enter with their campus card. Suppliers and staff members of companies on campus will be able to use their number plates to enter the parking areas. All the TU Delft secretariats and companies located on campus will be able to issue exit tickets to their visitors.

Public parking places
The campus grounds also has a number of public parking places. These are managed by ParkerenDelft, of which the Municipality of Delft is the sole shareholder. The municipality will already introduce paid parking – many of which will be in the area of student accommodation – on Wednesday 1 February. The rates apply between 12:00 and 24:00, according to a website of the municipality. This CREFM map shows which parking places are public. The public parking places are mostly on the Jaffalaan, Christiaan Huygensweg and around the Korvezeestraat. They are primarily intended for residents of the campus and their visitors. Residents can apply for a parking permit from ParkerenDelft.

Paperless parking system
The parking system will be entirely paperless and will work on number plate recognition. There will thus be no paper tickets, explains De Vries. “The exit tickets will have a QR code. Visitors can use the code to ‘pay’ at the parking machine and then drive out on their number plate. Visitors without an exit ticket can hold their smartphone or MIFARE card – cards with a special chip such as a public transport card or bank card – against a terminal when they drive in. They can pay when they leave at a payment terminal or on an online portal.

The campus card works as an entry card for staff members and students. If they connect their number plate to their campus card, they do not need to show their campus card when they drive in anymore.

All six TU Delft parking locations will be closed with a barrier. Before this happens though, the parking at the busiest locations will be regulated with temporary barriers and parking attendants. On some days, the attendants will randomly ask the drivers which building they need to go to. “This data will be used to assess the use of the parking facilities. We will remove that information later from the parking system,” says De Vries.