Supply is very limited. There is no land on which to build parking at relatively low cost, and there are obstacles in the community to expanding the supply of parking. Hence, rates are high. To maintain the academic program on the Berkeley campus, capital development has occurred in every generation. With fewer than 200 acres of land on the central campus, Berkeley has little space to support its large campus population and programs.
Parking lots are generally the last large open spaces available to the campus.
The administration recognizes that we need a critical mass of spaces for our commuter population. Garages and structures are being maintained or built, such as the new SRB-1 garage and the rebuilding of the critical Underhill structure. Campus planners have proposed that the campus build approximately 1,100 spaces to bring our inventory closer to the existing Long Range Development Plan limits. Those spaces will be shared among students, faculty and staff. Parking and Transportation initiated a pre-tax transit program two years ago, and 90 employees are currently signed up for monthly payroll deductions.