As an added incentive to encourage Hacienda employees to carpool, and as a means of giving special recognition to those commuters who make a special effort to reduce traffic, Hacienda Business Park tenants are installing ‘Preferential Parking’ spaces.

At AT&T, commute coordinators, Dale Chesnutt and Jennifer Henard, have been “overwhelmed” with employees’ positive response to the program. “So far, 480 commuters have received their preferential parking permits, creating 230 carpools,” said Chesnutt.

Preferential parking spaces are designated close to the entrances of the office buildings and are reserved solely for the use of carpoolers and vanpoolers. The location of this special parking is an added convenience for those who share a ride because they do not have to search for a parking space, they are close to the entrance of the building, and they do not have to walk long distances in bad weather.

Preferential Parking has also been established at the Chabot Center. According to Polly Welsh, building manager, “As more tenants move into our building, the parking lot gets more and more full. Because Preferential Parking assures employees of a close parking space, it offers a good incentive to carpool.”

In order to take advantage of the convenience of Preferential Parking one must:

1. Form a carpool/vanpool, or join one already in existence. The company commute coordinator can assist employees by providing a matchlist of people who live near one another and could share a ride.

2.  Once organized, the group completes a carpool/vanpool registration form, also available from the coordinator.

3.  Each person in the pool will receive a permit.

4.  On carpool days, at least two (2) permits will be displayed on the dashboard of the vehicle.

If a vehicle is parked in a preferential parking space without at least two (2) permits, it can be towed. This rule will be strictly enforced by Hacienda Security to ensure that spaces will always be available for carpoolers and vanpoolers.

Preferential Parking spaces is a parkwide endeavor. In order to be consistent throughout the park, uniform Preferential Parking signs are being provided to the park owners and tenants by the Hacienda Owners Association. Installation and parking lot painting, using the design specified in the Hacienda Business Park’s Design Guidelines, is the responsibility of the individual tenants.

Hacienda Business Park Transportation Manager, Karen Fraser-Middleton explained, “The Pleasanton Transportation Systems Management Ordinance requires that businesses promote ridesharing to employees; the goal is to reduce the number of cars being used for commuting. The establishment of preferential parking for carpools and vanpools in Hacienda is just one of the ways we are responding to the TSM Ordinance.”

Hacienda employees can contact their company or building transportation coordinator for more information. The coordinators are Dale Chesnutt and Jennifer Henard at AT&T, 460-4653; Polly Welsh at Chabot Center, 463-2300; Pam Rose at Viacom, 463-0870, and Kay Foster-Dorn at Crum & Forster, 847-2628.

To see a reproduction of the original article and edition of Pleasanton Pathways, visit: March 11, 1985 Pathways.