More preferred parking spots to be added for carpoolers

One person, one car equals one big problem.

Historically, the single biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions attributed to UMass Medical School’s Worcester campus has been the tailpipes of cars people drive to campus each day, often carrying one person per car. To address this problem, the school promotes carpooling by offering preferred parking on campus for two or more people who are willing to carpool.

“We have nearly 400 people who use the carpool program, and it has grown so much, we now have a waiting list,” said Bill Tsaknopolous, director of auxiliary services at UMMS, who oversees parking on campus.

Because of the growing popularity of the carpool program, Tsaknopolous said the school will soon add 20 parking spaces at the Pine Tree lot off South Road for the exclusive use of carpoolers. To qualify for the program, two or more people who currently have a Worcester campus parking permit must sign up and turn in their individual parking permits in exchange for a carpool tag.

The carpool tag can be moved from vehicle to vehicle among those signed up for that carpool, but must only be used when two or more people commute together. Parking enforcement staff monitors the carpool spots closely to make sure they are used by the people who participate in the program.

“We all know parking is very tight on campus, so the more we can encourage people to carpool, the better it is for all of us, from the standpoint of cutting emissions and easing vehicle congestion on campus,” Tsaknopolous said.

For more information about the carpool program visit the Parking and Access Control Office in Room HA531 or call the office at 508-856-3630.