Formed by President Kelly Damphousse, the Campus Parking Strategy Working Group brings together faculty, staff, students, and administration to create a financially sustainable and equitable long-term parking framework for Texas State University.
These are significant, long-term decisions that will impact future generations of Bobcats, I want our students, faculty, and staff members to have a voice in how we make them.
Kelly Damphousse, President | Sept 2026
Addressing Campus Parking: Data, Challenges, and Next Steps
Working Group Charter & Decision Principles
Formally charged to reconcile long-term physical campus expansion goals with auxiliary self-supporting financial requirements.
Working Group Co-Chair
Matthew Carmichael
AVP & Chief of Police
Working Group Co-Chair
Cristine Black
University Chief Financial Officer
Strategic Framework & Decision Principles
1
Core Parking as Limited Resource
Evaluate parking within/adjacent to the academic core based on institutional need, frequency, accessibility, and value—not solely historical assignments.
2
Residential Parking Framework
Evaluate transitioning residential parking toward a remote model while maintaining ADA access, exceptions, and core parking based on actual utilization data.
3
University Fleet Vehicles
Evaluate relocating university-owned vehicles without routine core access needs away from high-demand core parking to remote locations.
4
Capital Development Impacts
Require future major capital projects to explicitly identify parking impacts, demand generated, space elimination, and mitigation funding during planning.
5
Capacity Before Construction
Assess whether existing remote/underutilized capacity can be maximized via zoning, pricing, transit, and tech before building costly garage structures.
6
Financial & Proximity Pricing
Preserve auxiliary solvency while structuring permit rates to reflect location, convenience, and access levels (remote vs core vs reserved).
Duties & Core Scope
5 Primary Policy & Operational Pillars
The Working Group is tasked with systematically reviewing five distinct functional pillars across campus operations.
A
Permit System Reform & Zoning
- Zone-Based Permitting: Transition from broad group allocations to location-specific permits to prevent cross-campus driving.
- Faculty & Staff Separation: Split employee permits into distinct Faculty and Staff categories to optimize oversell ratios.
- Commuter Rebalancing: Evaluate restoring designated commuter parking options west of the river.
B
First-Year Mobility & Remote Storage
- First-Year Vehicle Policies: Evaluate restricting most first-year resident students to secure remote parking.
- Transit Support: Ensure reliable, 24/7 campus shuttle and transit options connect remote lots to residence halls.
- Utilization Tracking: Base policies on vehicle movement data rather than assumptions.
C
Financial Pro Formas & Auxiliary Solvency
- Capital Evaluation: Contrast the Master Plan's 3-garage expansion model against the Parking Study's 1-garage + TDM model.
- Fee Alignment: Recommend a phased rate schedule to maintain auxiliary self-support while benchmarking peer universities.
D
Technology & Operations
- Real-Time Availability: Explore digital monitoring and reporting for open spot availability.
- Visitor Garage Integrity: Preserve dedicated visitor garages for official guests, events, and visitors.
- Maintenance Schedules: Enforce janitorial and structural maintenance across all 16 campus garages & lots.
E
Administrative & Appeals Oversight
- Appeals Process: Review and modernize the citation appeals and administrative review workflow.
- Policy Clarity: Ensure clear, transparent communication of all parking rules and regulations.
- Stakeholder Equity: Balance needs between students, faculty, staff, and visitors.
Committee Composition
Working Group Composition & Stakeholders
Members serve for a full academic year to ensure continuity and deep context as recommendations transition from discovery to final delivery.
Phased Execution Plan
Working Group Implementation Roadmap
A multi-stage operational strategy ensuring thorough data analysis, campus-wide engagement, and seamless policy implementation.
Phase 1
Fall 2026
Discovery, Data Review & Alignment
- Analyze findings from the Walker Parking Study & Master Plan.
- Evaluate current and projected demand, utilization data for core lots, remote storage, and shuttle usage.
- Conduct initial stakeholder alignment meetings across administrative and student bodies.
In Progress
Phase 2
Spring 2027
Policy Modeling & Draft Strategy
- Develop proposed permit structure, zone modifications, and pricing models.
- Formulate financial pro formas ensuring auxiliary self-support.
- Host campus town halls and gather feedback from faculty, staff, and students.
Upcoming
Phase 3
Late Spring – Summer 2027
Final Recommendations & Implementation
- Submit final Parking and Mobility Plan to executive leadership.
- Configure enforcement technology, signage, and permit registration systems.
- Roll out updated parking framework for the Fall 2027 academic term.
Target Execution
Campus Reference Library
Access official university planning documents, consultants' studies, and committee charters
Official Working Group Charter
The official mandate, executive purpose, governance structure, decision principles, and membership roster established by President Damphousse.
2025–2035 Campus Master Plan
Texas State University's 10-year master physical plan outlining long-term land development, physical expansion goals, and physical infrastructure.
2026 Walker Parking Study
Comprehensive independent review of TXST parking demand, stakeholder feedback, garage utilization data, and Transportation Demand Management (TDM) alternatives.
Coming Soon!
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