Cincinnati State will offer free off-site parking to students
August 24, 2010
Cincinnati State will offer free parking and free shuttle-bus service from a lot in Northside starting in Early Fall Term 2010 as part of a series of efforts to relieve parking congestion at its main campus.
The lot is located 1.8 miles from campus at 4781 Hamilton Avenue, on property owned by the Greater Bethlehem Temple Church near the intersection with Ashtree Drive. Two full-sized shuttle buses will run to and from campus from 7:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 7:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. on Fridays. Cincinnati State will also provide security at the parking site.
Cincinnati State will initially lease 200 spaces, and has the ability to expand its presence at the lot if necessary.
The college has seen its enrollment jump by more than 25 percent over the past year, and indications are that the trend will continue when the Early Fall Term begins on Sept. 7. The enrollment surge has put parking at a premium on the Clifton campus. Those pressures will be even greater when construction begins later this month on the long-awaited Ludlow Avenue Gateway project, which will allow Cincinnati State to take advantage of a dedicated traffic signal to establish what its master plan envisions as the main entrance to the College. The project will improve access to and from Ludlow Avenue and the campus parking garages, but will eliminate some surface parking spaces during construction.
A task force appointed by Cincinnati State interim president Dr. John Henderson has been studying long-range and immediate measures to address parking needs at the main campus. Construction of a third parking garage is one of the long-term options under study, but college officials said there are no immediate plans for such a move. Meanwhile, the college is negotiating with Metro to offer students a discounted bus pass program. Cincinnati State officials said they plan to have a program in place by Late Fall term, and might be able to phase it in earlier.
Cincinnati State students who do not take advantage of the free parking plan will still have the option of parking on campus this year. Student parking passes are currently being sold for the Early Fall Term. But, college officials noted, a parking pass does not guarantee a parking space, especially during peak instructional periods.
Other changes recommended by the parking task force and implemented by the College’s Executive Team for the 2010 Early Fall Term are designed to maximize the availability of parking for those who purchase passes:
- The Central Parkway Garage will be the only cash parking facility on campus. All surface parking lots (including Lot G on the west side of Central Parkway) and the Ludlow Garage will require a Surge Card with an embedded parking permit.
- Lot C off Ludlow Avenue will remain open during construction, but will be designated for permit parking only at the start of Early Fall Term on Sept. 7.
- The Central Parkway Ministries lot on Central Parkway will be reserved for overflow parking for faculty and staff, and for students taking classes at the site. Transportation to the Main Campus will be provided by shuttle vans operated by College personnel.
For more details about Cincinnati State’s parking program please click here.
