New West Campus Parking Garage To Open
The 2,263-space garage will include charging stations for electric vehicles
Beginning this week, several groups of Duke parking permit holders will gain access to the new Science Drive Parking Garage, a 2,263-space structure that will alleviate congestion and offer extra parking availability on Duke’s main campus.
The seven-level garage, which was built on a surface parking lot near the Science Drive-751 intersection, will provide additional spaces for graduate and professional students studying on West Campus at the School of Law, Fuqua School of Business and Sanford School of Public Policy. The garage will also add parking access in the athletic facilities area of campus, where some parking has been lost to new construction.
"Balancing a combination of the loss of available surface lots due to construction and a steady increase in demand has created a challenging situation over the past two years,” said Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for administration. “The new garage will mean a net increase of nearly 1,000 extra spaces, increasing capacity that will greatly assist in meeting the needs of our students, faculty, staff and visitors."
Through the end of the year, Parking and Transportation Services will communicate with Duke Law School and Fuqua School of Business students and others who will begin using the garage. Faculty and staff and other eligible graduate students can now request a parking permit to use the new garage, which will become available for the rest of the Duke community in January.
Marcus Benning, a graduate student at the School of Law and president of the Graduate & Professional Student Council, said the new garage will be key to supplementing parking options around Law, Fuqua and Sanford.
"We anticipate the new garage will have a positive impact on the graduate and professional student experience,” he said. “We also expect that by opening the new garage, congestion will be reduced along Science Drive, allowing our professional schools to continue operating with minimal inconvenience on game days.”
The garage will also help serve other commuting needs.
Two new PR1 bus stops with covered seating, on each side of Science Drive, will serve garage customers.
Of the 2,263 spaces in the new garage, a breakdown of specific spots includes:
- 215 for short-term parking for visitors.
- 36 for accessible vehicles
- 28 for motorcycles.
- 14 designated for electric vehicles, with two ChargePoint stations on each floor.
From now through the end of 2016, construction crews will work to finalize the garage’s “entry plaza,” which will include a mix of green space and hardscape, with hundreds of trees and shrubs.
The cost for a Science Drive Garage permit will be $37 a month for graduate and professional students and $50 a month for employees. A waiting list is currently available for those who want to sign up for a space to be used starting in January.
To request a parking permit for the Science Drive Garage, visit the Duke FlexPort website. Duke community members will also be able to use the website to purchase passes for daily access.