Impact of Campus Parking Policy on Employee Commute‑Related Physical Activity
Start Date
April 2026
Location
2nd floor - Library
Abstract
Purpose: The rollout of a new parking program on August 1, 2025, transitioning from free to paid parking with remote free lots, provided a natural experiment to examine changes in commute-related physical activity. This study examined the effects of a university parking policy change on employee commute-related physical activity.
Methods: Participants completed a Qualtrics survey assessing perceptions of the parking policy and self-reported physical activity, including commute-related physical activity before and after implementation. Participants were categorized based on parking status (paid vs. non-paid). A t-test and Chi square were used to interpret data.
Results: Participants included 48 faculty (70%) and staff (30%) who had worked at Xavier for an average of 9.6 ± 8.8 years. The average commute distance was 12.8 ± 10.2 miles, with most participants commuting 6–15 miles (46.8%). Half of participants (n = 24) paid for parking, while the remaining participants did not. Among those who paid for parking, average commute-related physical activity time did not change following the policy implementation (2.48 ± 1.72 vs. 2.19 ± 1.40 minutes; p = 0.25). In contrast, participants who did not pay for parking increased their average commute-related physical activity time from 2.70 ± 2.38 to 7.30 ± 3.32 minutes (p < 0.001). Nearly all participants who paid for parking (95.8%) reported no perceived change in commute-related physical activity. Among those who did not pay, 37.5% reported a significant increase, 25.0% a slight increase, and 37.5% no change.
Conclusion: The parking policy change was associated with increased commute-related physical activity among employees who did not pay for parking, while little change was observed among those who paid.
Impact of Campus Parking Policy on Employee Commute‑Related Physical Activity
2nd floor - Library
Purpose: The rollout of a new parking program on August 1, 2025, transitioning from free to paid parking with remote free lots, provided a natural experiment to examine changes in commute-related physical activity. This study examined the effects of a university parking policy change on employee commute-related physical activity.
Methods: Participants completed a Qualtrics survey assessing perceptions of the parking policy and self-reported physical activity, including commute-related physical activity before and after implementation. Participants were categorized based on parking status (paid vs. non-paid). A t-test and Chi square were used to interpret data.
Results: Participants included 48 faculty (70%) and staff (30%) who had worked at Xavier for an average of 9.6 ± 8.8 years. The average commute distance was 12.8 ± 10.2 miles, with most participants commuting 6–15 miles (46.8%). Half of participants (n = 24) paid for parking, while the remaining participants did not. Among those who paid for parking, average commute-related physical activity time did not change following the policy implementation (2.48 ± 1.72 vs. 2.19 ± 1.40 minutes; p = 0.25). In contrast, participants who did not pay for parking increased their average commute-related physical activity time from 2.70 ± 2.38 to 7.30 ± 3.32 minutes (p < 0.001). Nearly all participants who paid for parking (95.8%) reported no perceived change in commute-related physical activity. Among those who did not pay, 37.5% reported a significant increase, 25.0% a slight increase, and 37.5% no change.
Conclusion: The parking policy change was associated with increased commute-related physical activity among employees who did not pay for parking, while little change was observed among those who paid.
