»Auction FAQs

+-Do I need to enter the auction to get a Chapman parking permit?

No. You would only enter an auction if you wanted a reserved parking space or the low-cost VPO permit.

+-So there is not a problem with the number of parking spaces at Chapman – the issue you’re trying to address is students’ desire to park centrally during peak times?

Exactly. Chapman fully complies with all City of Orange requirements for the provision of parking spaces, and demonstrates the effectiveness of its parking program each year by hiring a respected independent traffic engineering firm to conduct a study and submit a report to the city with supporting documentation.

+-So if I’m a student who lives in the residence halls, I don’t need to participate in the auction?

Correct. You have your own permit parking in the residence halls complex.

+-What if I don’t drive a car to campus?

If you don’t have a car and don’t drive to campus, you can have the parking fee waived – this has been the situation in the past and will continue to be so

+-Has Chapman considered alternative solutions other than doing a parking auction?

Yes, and carefully. We think the C-Park auctions are an innovative approach to address student concerns, based on proven economic principles.

Here are some of the other options we have considered:

Build a new central-campus parking structure - addressed at length below, but in essence, too expensive right now, and would raise fees for everyone.
Stacked parking/valet parking – possible, and we may want to implement this at some point if further congestion relief is needed.
Encourage alternative transportation to campus (bus, train, carpool) to relieve demand – We are adding initiatives for alternative transportation to the C-Park plan.
Shift more classes to earlier or later start times so people aren’t so crowded-in during the peak hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Possible, but it’s a long process that calls for more input from students and faculty.

+-How much would it cost to just build a new centrally located parking structure? Wouldn’t that solve everything?

The typical cost of a new 500-space surface lot today would be around $3 million, or about $6,000 per space. A new 500-space, 5-level above-ground structure would cost around $7.5 million, or about $15,000 per space. A new subterranean structure would cost about $27,500 per space (so a 500-space underground structure, about half the size of Lastinger, would cost around $13.75 million). Parking fees would have to go up considerably, for everyone. Also, new construction is not a quick solution. The university would need to work closely with the city to green-light the structure; then it would need to be designed and built. And that’s not even getting into the impact that major construction always causes for neighbors and campus community members alike. That’s why we think the auction is a more reasonable and innovative solution to the immediate problem, and so warrants a try.

+-This new system doesn’t seem fair and equitable! Only the rich get to park in Reserved spaces!

It’s difficult, if not impossible, to design a parking system that everyone will be happy with. We already know that, while we have enough total parking spaces to accommodate everyone, the system we have still isn’t completely satisfactory to our primary customers: those whose tuition payments fund a large proportion of the university’s annual operations. So change is necessary to try to improve things. With C-Park, some commuter students who can only arrive at, say, midday, will now have a fighting chance to park in a convenient central location when they were unable to do so in the past. So yes, it’s true that this more central and convenient parking location will likely cost more, but the alternative solutions seemed more unpalatable because of the associated costs to all.

+-So why don’t we just have a First-Come, First-Served (FCFS) system? That seems fair to all.

Actually, when you think about it, FCFS is not really fair to all and it’s pretty much what we’ve always had before. What about students or faculty who can’t get to campus until the midday peak parking time and really have no opportunity to land a central space in, say, Lastinger or Argyros? Under the C-Park system, at least some of those folks will now have more of a chance.

+-I'm a student and I already paid for fall parking when I registered – does that mean I don’t need to participate in the auction?

Yes. However, if you do want to have a Reserved Parking Space, or take advantage of the low-cost option of a VPO permit, you must participate in the auction. Otherwise, your annual parking fee gives you access to many of the other lots on campus just like last year.

+-I’ll bet President Doti and Chancellor Struppa don’t have to participate in the auction. They get free parking spaces, right?

Not true. The President, the Chancellor and all senior university staff who bring a vehicle to campus will participate in an auction. Most senior staff park in the Memorial lot, which is a Reserved lot. So they will be bidding on Reserved spaces.

+-Speaking of the Memorial lot, I usually see some empty spaces in there – what gives?

While some senior staff park in the Memorial lot, the spaces are mostly there for VIPs, trustees and governors, and visitors to the president, chancellor and other Memorial Hall offices. So you may see some empty spaces in there at certain times of day. But during board meetings, board committee meetings and other VIP activities, the lot will indeed be full.

+-Chapman is making a lot of money off this auction, right? Isn’t this just another way to make money?

Actually, no. Parking is not a money-making proposition at Chapman. It is a necessary and important service that we provide. When you add it all up, the cost of providing and maintaining parking facilities is much more than the revenue we receive from parking permits, citations, meters and special events. So, Chapman really subsidizes annual costs associated with campus parking so that individual members of the campus community do not full bear the expenses. But that’s OK – this is all part of the “cost of doing business,” and we think it’s a good thing to do. The purpose of this auction is primarily to help alleviate congestion and reduce search time at peak times of the day in the central campus area. So please don’t be too cynical! We’re actually trying to do something good here.

+-What happens to the previously designated “Faculty Only” spaces?

There will be 59 “faculty only” designated spaces on campus. The Hashinger lot will be devoted primarily to faculty parking along with some disabled spaces and in the Barrera parking structure there will be 25 faculty only spaces on the west wall of Level 3. There will also be 10 faculty only spaces in the Knott Studios Lot. The Barrera and Knott spaces will be reserved for faculty only on M-F, between the hours of 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. During peak demand class hours – from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. – any of these spaces, not filled by a faculty member with the appropriate permit, will be available to any member of the campus community (i.e. student, staff or faculty) with the appropriate permit. The Hashinger faculty spaces will be reserved for faculty M-F, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., however, the disabled spaces have no time restrictions and are open to any vehicle displaying a disabled placard and a valid university permit; the same as for all disabled spaces on campus.

+-Who can bid in the auction?

Commuter students, faculty and staff who wish to take advantage of the low-cost VPO permit, and those who wish to purchase Reserved spaces.

+-What, exactly, is being auctioned?

Annual permits for the VPO Lot and annual permits for a reserved space are being auctioned.

+-So if I bid, do I get my own parking space?

Only if you bid in the Reserved auction. If you bid in the VPO auction, what you will get is a permit to park in that location only if you successfully bid in the auction and win. It’s a searching license; a space cannot be guaranteed. But since now only people who won permits in the auction will be allowed to enter and look for a space, the search time should be less. If you own an VPO Permit, but are unable to find an empty space, you can park in the Cypress Lot.

+-Online auctions scare me! What if I end up paying more than I want?

We’ve tried to make the online Auction interface as easy and user-friendly as possible – you’ll see. And there’s no way you will end up paying more than you bid. Your bid is your bid. If your bid is high enough, you will either pay what you bid, or you could end up paying less. If your bid is too low, you just won’t receive a reserved space or a permit to park in the VPO lot.

+- What happens if I’m at class or at work and can’t place a bid when the auction starts? Also, I don’t want to have to keep checking in and babysitting this auction!

No worries. You can get into the auction and place a bid BEFORE the "clock ticking" part of the auction begins. For the Reserved Space and VPO auctions, you can actually bid starting on August 20, and the auction clock will start at 10 a.m. on August 28. You can bid any time during the auction, but it’s wise to bid as early as you can, as tie bids will be recorded by time stamp (that is, the earlier bid will beat the later bid, all else being equal). If you bid high, you probably won’t need to worry about checking in on your bid as much, but that’s up to you. Because the price ticks down until all permits are gone or the base price is reached, you will only pay what the ending price is.

+-Is the price I bid in the parking auction the total parking permit cost, or a premium price ABOVE the base price?

For the Reserved Space Auction, your bid is only for the premium above the “regular” permit fee. It represents the extra amount you’re willing to pay -- above the basic $300 annual permit price -- for the right to park in a reserved space for the full academic year. An annual permit is not required in addition to the VPO permit and fees will be adjusted for those successfully participating in the auction. The final bid price will not exceed $50.

+-What happens when I win the auction? What do I need to do then?

After the auction has ended, you will receive e-mail notification from Parking Services containing detailed instructions on how to proceed.

+-What happens if I don’t win the auction?

You’ll simply use your regular parking permit to park wherever that permit normally allows you. You just won’t be able to park in the VPO Lot or a reserved space during restricted hours.

+-What has changed with the reserved parking permits in '12-'13?

Nothing. Reserved spaces are still restricted to the space holder 24-7 except for Commencement weekend or special circumstance as determined by Parking Services.

+-Where are the Reserved Parking Spaces?

The owner of a Reserved permit may choose the location of their parking space. The parking space may be located in any parking facility except Memorial or Hashinger. The order of selection of the reserved spaces will be determined by the bid value and time the bid was placed: The winner with the highest winning bid submitted first will select first and so on. In the case of identical winning bids, the individual with the earliest auction time/date stamp will select first.

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