Members of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center community will see an increase in monthly fees for on-campus parking, effective Feb. 1, 2020.
Upcoming changes to the fee structure for permits will impact both reserved and non-reserved parking spaces across the Medical Center campus.
Parking permits with monthly rates below $100 will receive a 5% increase while permits costing more than $100 per month, including reserved spaces, will have a 10% or greater increase.
For example, non-reserved permits for the 25th Avenue Garage, levels 4-11 (25T permits) will increase $2.30 per month from $46 to $48.30.
While this is the first parking rate increase in more than two years, going forward, employees should expect to see increases for permits each Jan. 1.
“We are keenly aware of the Medical Center’s priority to carefully manage operational expenses and run the employee parking program in the most efficient manner possible,” said Jason Bucher, director of Parking & Transportation Services.
“We were able to avoid a rate increase for permits in 2018 and 2019. However, after carefully evaluating expenses and projected costs for the coming year, it will be necessary to implement an increase to help offset rising costs.”
Each year, the Medical Center spends more than $12 million to maintain parking facilities and provide shuttle service. Fees from parking permits support approximately half of the cost while the Medical Center funds the remaining balance.
Capital costs, such as costs for building garages, are covered by the Medical Center and are not passed on to workforce members.
“Rate increases are never popular,” Bucher said. “This is why we are continually evaluating the services we provide, whether it’s shuttle routes or our other services, for ways to help hold down costs.”
As a reminder, Lot 127 continues to be a free option to on-campus parking. Lot 127 is located less than 10 minutes from campus on Chestnut Street across from the old Greer Stadium property. There are approximately 140 spaces currently available.
Lot 127 is serviced by shuttles traveling to the main campus and One Hundred Oaks. Shuttle service is provided until 9 p.m. each evening.
“We have many employees who frequently use mass transit, and those who prefer to park at the Chestnut Street lot because parking there is free and does not require a permit,” Bucher said.
Medical Center Parking and Transportation Services continues to offer its workforce lower-cost alternative transportation options, which include the city’s WeGo Public Transit (Nashville Metro Transit Authority) Ride-to-Work program, discounted tickets for the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) express buses and Music City Star, plus vanpool and carpool matching options.
Parking for patients and their family members is not being altered.
For more information about Parking and Transportation Services and to see the full parking rate chart please go to: https://ww2.mc.vanderbilt.edu/medcenterparking/.
