Parking management on college and university campuses is a tricky business. It’s not always easy to find the delicate balance between sustainability, convenience and cost. Thankfully, there’s a smart new strategy on the market—the flexible digital parking pass—and educational institutions are all over it.

 

Since HONK developed the parking industry’s first-of-its-kind digital flexpass, aka HONKPASS, we know exactly how it can enhance parking on campus. Think of a flexible parking pass as your school’s digital punch card. It’s a prepaid pack of parking credits that drivers can redeem at various locations for a period of time you set. 

 

Recently, we shared the various ways campus parking can be improved with modern tech and now we’re drilling down on the benefits of the flexible parking pass—for students, faculty, staff and even contractors. 

 

Here are the top 5 reasons to go flex:

 

1. Even More Flexibility

Colleges and universities already embrace flexible course scheduling and hybrid work models, so why not extend flexibility to the parking experience? 

According to a Pew Research Center survey, around 97% of adults aged 18-29 are smartphone owners—and these days, most postsecondary students rely on their phone for just about everything. 

Flexible digital passes up the convenience factor of parking on campus by offering more choice on mobile. Instead of being limited to daily or semester-long permits, drivers can and should have the freedom to decide how and when they want to park to suit their ever-changing needs. 

 

2. Serious Cost Savings

Students (like all of us these days!) are always on the lookout for the biggest bang for their buck. Flexible parking passes deliver. 

Instead of purchasing a fixed-term permit, drivers can opt for a pay-as-you-go model, ensuring they only pay for the parking they actually use. This forward-thinking approach not only saves students money but also offers cost-effective options to staff and faculty members who only need to park on campus now and then. Plus, it’s great for budgeting. Since the pass is paid for upfront, there are never any costly surprises.

 

3. A Greener Campus

When an institution makes the transition to a digital system, there are real, tangible benefits. Gone is the need for traditional physical permits, which translates to a lot less campus waste. 

By going flex, the school is also demonstrating its commitment to sustainability and doing its part to foster a greener campus environment. And with no paper to produce or dispose of, the institution reduces its environmental footprint while simultaneously simplifying its parking management processes.

 

4. Simplified Campus Contracts

Flexible parking passes are the ideal solution for contractors who are called in to work on campus from time to time. The cumbersome processes of issuing temporary permits and managing contractor parking takes time and effort that no one has to waste. 

Now contractors can buy digital passes straight from their phone or computer and use them as needed, and school administrators can allocate spaces and grant access—all through the digital platform. 

 

5. Streamlined Parking Services

With no physical permits to issue and track, parking administration is suddenly much more smooth and streamlined. Even better, the new digital system allows for easy monitoring and control of parking access in real-time. 

In fact, campus parking services have the power to set parking rules and regulations digitally, automate permit renewals, and access valuable insights on parking utilization. This data-driven approach optimizes parking resources, improving the overall efficiency of the campus parking experience for everyone involved.

 

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Does your college or university need a flexible parking pass solution? Join hundreds of institutions across North America that are using HONK to make parking on campus smoother, faster, and more convenient. Connect with a member of our team today!