1. Don’t Pave Paradise; Don’t Put Up a Parking Lot David Browning Edward M. DesPlas

2. Who? DCCCD = Dallas County Community College District DART = Dallas Area Rapid Transit

3. DFW Metropolitan Area Per the 2010 US Census, Dallas/Ft. Worth Metro population is 6,371,771; largest metro area in Texas and the South, 4th Largest in the US and 10th Largest in all of the Americas. Region spans 10,693 square miles. Huge highway system to accommodate: Culture built around cars & trucks. Free parking in vast suburban spaces. Until 1996, public transportation was buses only. Few people used public transportation.

4. DART Trains & Buses Most of Dallas County Part of Collin County Soon to hit Rockwall County Partnered with Trinity Railway Express, connect Ft. Worth in Tarrant County

5. EL CENTRO COLLEGE El Centro College – flagship of DCCCD, centrally location in downtown Dallas, south Dallas and west Dallas El Centro student population: 12,000 (credit) El Centro has extremely limited parking. Served by all bus lines and train lines, nearest train station is 130 yards from front door.

6. 1997 El Centro enrollment tanked at 3,500 students. Enrollment patterns indicated migration to suburban colleges. Reasons: ◦ congested commute to downtown area ◦ high cost of parking ◦ rising cost of gasoline ◦ decline of CBD as vibrant destination

7. What Behaviors Need to Change? Transportation Choice –  Get Ye to a Train or Bus to influence Enrollment Choice  Get Ye to El Centro College

8. What Can Cause Behavior Change? DART-Free

9. Structure of Program Eligible students ◦ Credit student enrolled in 6 credit hrs. ◦ CE students in 96 contact hrs. Statistics since Fall 1997 Number of Eligible Students Cost of Pass Per Semester Amount Paid to DART Passes Issued 188,482$20 - $25 $4,457,820109,669

10. Did Behaviors Change? YES

11. Initial Report Initial Report DART Free Program Survey- Spring 2013 Dart Pass Program Participants Spring 2013

12. 1. How often do you use your DART-Free pass? #AnswerResponse% 1Daily51476% 2Weekly14722% 3Monthly122% 4Never30% Total676100% StatisticValue Min Value1 Max Value4 Mean1.27 Variance0.26 Standard Deviation0.51 Total Responses676

13. 2. Do your use your DART-Free pass for transportation other than to El Centro College? #AnswerResponse% 1Yes38156% 2No29544% Total676100% StatisticValue Min Value1 Max Value2 Mean1.44 Variance0.25 Standard Deviation0.50 Total Responses676

14. 3. Have you ever utilized the DART system before attending El Centro College? #AnswerResponse% 1Yes46669% 2No21131% Total677100% StatisticValue Min Value1 Max Value2 Mean1.31 Variance0.21 Standard Deviation0.46 Total Responses677

15. 4. How often did you utilize the DART system before attending El Centro College? #AnswerResponse% 1Daily16939% 2Weekly10925% 3Monthly15035% Total428100% StatisticValue Min Value1 Max Value3 Mean1.96 Variance0.75 Standard Deviation0.86 Total Responses428

16. 5. Did the DART-Free program influence your decision to choose El Centro College as your college? #AnswerResponse% 1Yes40164% 2No22836% Total629100% StatisticValue Min Value1 Max Value2 Mean1.36 Variance0.23 Standard Deviation0.48 Total Responses629

17. 6. Has the DART-Free program made it easier for you to attend classes at El Centro College? #AnswerResponse% 1Yes, Please Explain:60998% 2No, Please Explain:132% Total622100% StatisticValue Min Value1 Max Value2 Mean1.02 Variance0.02 Standard Deviation0.14 Total Responses622

18. 6. Has the DART-Free program made it easier for you to attend classes at El Centro College? Yes, Please Explain: 609 TotalNo, Please Explain: 13 Total no high cost parking. no time wasted on commute. I enjoy seeing the pretty girls before class. would have still used DART to go to El Centro dont have to worry about parkingIt takes longer than driving. The reason why is because I have no other way of transporation to school except the dart bus. I go to Northlake and stay close to it. No parking fees and easy way to getting to schoolB/c sometimes the bus/train arrives late I have no car, I have no job. The DART pass really helps. I wanted to go to college, but I had no idea el centro passed out dart passes. Do not have to pay for parkingi live downtown The lack of inexpensive parking makes riding the DART a must. I like driving my car. I’m disabled and my dog and I find the rail an easy way to travel I still have to drive to the station because I live in Mesquite.

19. 7. Do you plan to utilize public transportation after completing your education at El Centro College? #AnswerResponse% 1Yes53686% 2No8914% Total625100% StatisticValue Min Value1 Max Value2 Mean1.14 Variance0.12 Standard Deviation0.35 Total Responses625

20. 8. How has the DART-Free program at El Centro College changed your opinion of public transportation? Text Response: 485 Total I am now a tree-hugging, car-hating, pants-free train passenger Quite of bit! I thought, as a woman, public transportation was not safe, but I have found out it is quite the opposite. The Dart system is well organized, and always on time so I am not afraid of being late to class. It also gives me a peace of mind by not having to drive on weekends. I used to think public transportation was not clean and safe but I was wrong. I highly recommend it to everybody! It's makes it easy for me to get to where I need to be. Always on time and stops are every where It has made me happy that I found a way to save 80/wk. on gas by using it. Its not as bad as I thought it was going to be I thought it would be dirty and smelly. I was pleasantly surprised to find it clean and nice. A comfortable ride. It has familiarized me with the rules and regulations of public transportation. It is quick, hassle free, on time and it helps minimize pollution. It hasn't changed my opinion there both reliable but dart for me is easier because the parking is expensive and I don't have car Yes. It seems that more people use it on a daily basis and there is plenty of security at West End Station It is a great alternative to driving a car, which isn't good for the environment, not to mention gas and maintenance costs. The fact that both the busses and trains are bike friendly make public transportation a more appealing option. I LOVE that Dallas has a sophisticated public transportation system, and I'm very appreciative that El Centro provides passes. I wouldn't be able to afford a pass as a student paying out of pocket.

21. 9. Is the DART-Free program's effect on the environment an important reason for your participation? #AnswerResponse% 1Yes43070% 2No18130% Total611100% StatisticValue Min Value1 Max Value2 Mean1.30 Variance0.21 Standard Deviation0.46 Total Responses611

22. 10. Please share any other comments about the DART-Free program at El Centro College: Text Response: 250 Total Can the trains be another color? Yellow is scary. Great program. Thanks! Should be for all community colleges It's great, easy, and convenient. It's definetly appreciated! Thank you! I really like that we get a free pass I think it's an awesome program I think it should be offered to all students at El Centro, including the ones taking 1 class. It rules. i picked el centro for the free dart pass. most of my friends at ecc feel the same. please keep it I am an Environmental Club participant at El Centro College and my major is Science/ Biology, and this does give me a helping hand for the clean air that President Obama does push for. Thank you for the survey. / Also I don‘t think I could make it to school any how with the gas prices and the fare for the Dart transportation. / The Free program helps so much. Great idea

23. Survey of Graduates Revealed similar results as survey of current students Of note are responses that indicate we were able to influence a lasting change in transportation choice….

24. Did you utilize public transportation after completing your education at El Centro College or at another DCCCD College? #AnswerResponse% 1Yes6354% 2No5446% Total117100% StatisticValue Min Value1 Max Value2 Mean1.46 Variance0.25 Standard Deviation0.50 Total Responses117

25. Did Enrollments Go Up? YES

26. Gas Price Increase Vs. El Centro Enrollment Growth Yearly Average from the U.S. Energy Information Administration

27. Providing Students with Affordable Transportation Monthly Cost of Parking Monthly cost of Gasoline % of students of FA No Gas $ = no attendance ◦ No attendance = attrition No Parking $ = parking tickets ◦ Unpaid parking tickets = jail time ◦ Jail time = attrition Affordable Transportation = student success

28. What about the “Bottom Line”?

29. Public Transit Program vs. Parking Cost Comparisons: ◦ Parking Garage construction Cost $5,000,000  500 parking spaces (assume space cycles 25 times/week) ◦ Cost for Security and Maintenance $3,750,000  Total: $8,750,000  Est. Parkers since 1997: 187,500  Est. $46.67 per student parker  Total for DART-Free: $ 4,457,820  Riders since 1997: 109,669  $40.65 per student rider

30. What Else?

31. Less crime; more study time Survey of 6 other college within the DCCCD with parking lots showed, on average, 60% of campus criminal activity occurred in their parking lots Public transportation allows students to continue group discussions while commuting

32. Enhanced applications for grants for economic development and environmental programs Silver Rating on AASHE Promotes environmental grant applications Interagency collaboration increases grant proposal scores Attracts “green” partners – US Green Building Council

33. Lower Carbon Footprint In 2009 with a full-time student enrollment of 7,700 ECC reduced it’s CO 2 e produced by student commuting by 32.6%

34. Promoting “Paradise” DART drive-on to non participating municipalities: EFC, CVC DART bus access at all other colleges RLC “Poetry in Motion” DART Train Station @ NLC; station artwork designed by NLC faculty DART pass good 24/7, not just school transit Student retention – seamless, semester-to- semester

35. What’s the buzz? “One key initiative at the College is a program to facilitate travel to and from the College. With a diverse population of low-income students and no College provided parking on the main campus, the College provides each student registered for at least six credits with a free DART card that enables that student to use the Dallas area rapid transportation system to get to/from campus. Students can also use the card to get to and from work and for personal travel including evenings and weekends. While the College pays for these cards (at discounted rates from the city transportation authority), the benefits to students vastly outweigh the costs, and this program helps students who might otherwise not be able to pursue or continue their education to progress to and through college affordably” Karen Gross is a senior policy advisor at the U.S. Department of Education

36. Questions?