{"id":5314,"date":"2016-01-25T13:25:52","date_gmt":"2016-01-25T12:25:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=45238"},"modified":"2026-01-20T10:34:59","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T09:34:59","slug":"how-can-eur-make-the-campus-car-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2016\/01\/25\/how-can-eur-make-the-campus-car-free\/","title":{"rendered":"How can EUR make the campus car-free?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEsther Dijkstra<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The plan was an ambitious one. In 2011, the university resolved to reduce the number of staff going to work by car from 36 percent (in 2011) to 25 percent in 2015. And now, four years later, the current state of affairs has not met expectations, since the actual percentage achieved is only 1.2 percentage points. This is a great disappointment. Or possibly not entirely?<\/p>\n

The university adopted a mobility plan in 2011 in order to reduce CO2 emissions and improve the living environment on campus. One of the most drastic measures in this plan was the introduction of parking fees on campus in 2013. This measure came up against a lot of opposition, and the University Council rejected the Executive Board\u2019s first proposal in 2011.<\/p>\n

An amended version of this proposal, in which parking fees would increase from 1 euro a day in 2013 to 1.75 euros in 2014 and 2.50 euros in 2015, was eventually approved. This amount has not changed in the meantime and it will not be substantially increased for the time being either. University staff who work full time have been allocated 12 free parking days, however.<\/p>\n

More luxury parking spaces<\/h3>
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Parking on campus has become more pleasant in the meantime. The eastern side of the Erasmus Plaza is almost completed: the central part of the new campus will be finished in a couple of months. An underground car park will be constructed underneath like the one on the western side. Since this means that the car park on the northern side of Woudestein will be closed, the net number of parking spaces on campus will increase from about 1,400 to 1,500.<\/p>\n

This is not a very substantial increase, but it will mean there will be fewer cars parked on the streets and the campus will look much more attractive. And that, of course, is the most important point.<\/p>\n

A master plan for a new campus was drawn up in 2008. Its main objective was to prevent the entire campus from becoming an open car park. The closing of the northern car park means that this objective has now been more or less achieved. The only parking spaces at street level are those on Sportlaan, but these will eventually be closed as well. But if you can park your car in a warm dry place with an exit near the office, why would you want to make a tiring journey to the campus by metro or tram, or on the bike in the wind and rain?<\/p>\n

Read also<\/h2>