As the West Hall parking structure nears completion in November, the additional 1,200-space structure will bring the total number of parking spaces on campus to almost 9,000. The department of parking and traffic services has also entered into the planning stages of a second parking structure of approximately 750 spaces.
The organization is aware of the parking challenges on campus, and it continues to address the issue and make improvements, according to the department of parking and traffic services. The department is required to walk a fine line between supplying the parking needs of the organization and enforcing LLU Health parking regulations.
Currently there are more than 24,000 active accounts on file in the online parking management system, along with over 200,000 license plates. The department is responsible for monitoring all of the 97 lots surrounding the Loma Linda campus, totaling more than 7,700 parking spaces. With transient vehicle traffic, more than 40,000 vehicles per day travel within the city of Loma Linda. Administration has requested that department staff serve as committee members of the county and city traffic councils and work with those agencies to continue development.
Due to the need to properly control parking for the organization, the department of parking and traffic began creating the online parking management system more than four years ago, developing it completely in-house. The ideas and working structure of the system were a collaborative effort involving the entire parking staff; both office personnel and enforcement officers gave input.
Today, the parking management system is the most advanced in the country, according to Steve Hertel, executive director. It is currently being marketed to other universities throughout the United States.
Entry and exit to the West Hall parking structure will be controlled by the system’s license-plate recognition cameras. The employee will pull into the entry lane and the system will read the license plate; if the vehicle is authorized to use the lot, the gate will open. The entire process should take less than three seconds per car. The exit lanes will work the same way.
The new parking structure has many new safety features including glass-walled elevators and staircases, as well as state-of-the-art surveillance systems. Additionally, a computerized motion-detecting lighting system will be installed. The surveillance system will include nearly 100 cameras in locations such as the stairways, elevator landings, elevator cars, and each floor. These are a few of the additional details that are intended to increase safety and security.
Future plans for the campus include opening the online parking management system, currently only accessible on campus, to the World Wide Web so that users may access their accounts from home or their wireless devices.
Additionally, an app is in the final process of development, from which users can manage their parking accounts, receive traffic information, and see parking updates on their phones.
In efforts to further improve security, LLU Health administration has authorized the department to begin looking into converting the existing lots to the online parking management system. The upgrades will also include new lighting, cameras, and security fencing.
Steve Hertel states, “We want our fellow employees and visitors to feel as safe as possible while using the parking lots on campus. We can’t completely stop all events; however, we can send a clear message that Loma Linda is not the place to be if you intend to break the law.”
The department hopes that these added benefits and the new structure will help address the overall parking needs of the organization.