A growing demand for parking has put the campus at a crossroads. Do we expand our stack-parking services to other lots, build more structures or turn up the incentives for commuting by carpools, buses, vans and bicycles? Or do we do all of this? With parking already close to capacity and plans calling for campus enrollment to grow to 26,850 by 2005, the community needs to take a long-range look at the problem, says Brodie Hamilton, director of the Transportation and Parking Program. The campus is invited to comment on a new long-range access plan that explores future transit scenarios and strategies. Feedback is sought by March 7. Copies of the plan can be found at Shields Library reserve services, the Transportation and Parking Services Office and on the Web. Two paths are discussed in the report. Hamilton and Cliff Contreras, associate director of the transportation and parking program, are recommending the more conservative path that uses stack parking and alternative transportation options to forestall the need for a second parking structure in the near future. But, Contreras says the campus should begin the planning process for a parking structure south of the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center to make sure enough parking exists by the year 2000. The structure in the south-central part of campus would be completed by then to provide an estimated 1,100 to 1,500 spaces. In the meantime, stack parking by attendants would be used during peak-demand times--during the rainy months--to delay the need for building a second structure south of the new Life Sciences Addition. And, the campus would boost incentives and education to induce more people to double up on the commute or use other alternatives, like buses or bikes. Parking fees will rise to pay for the structures, since Transportation and Parking is a self-supporting department. Under the more conservative scenario, "A" permits would rise from the current cost of $27 a month to $44 by 1999 and to $65 a month by 2004. The "C" permit would rise from $19 a month now to $35 per month in 1999 to $52 in 2004. However, the fees for those using vanpools and carpools would not rise as quickly to provide incentive for commuters to share their vehicles. Not only is the campus expecting more people--there are 30,600 daily now on campus and 38,600 are expected by 2005--but it will be constructing more buildings to accommodate the growth. New structures will be displacing some parking spaces that now exist. Campus Planner Bob Segar says that this parking and transportation plan follows a calculated strategy from the Long Range Development Plan. "We want to keep parking on the perimeter of the core campus but still within a 10-minute walk to the core," he said. "As the campus develops with more academic buildings in the core, we'll need a compact parking solution to keep parking close." Another reason for putting parking structures south of Buehler and the Life Sciences Addition is that those sites are easily accessible from the freeway without further impacting the city streets. To submit comments on the plan, the campus community can write to Transportation and Parking Services or e-mail responses to taps@ucdavis.edu.