The YOU portion of my idea napkin no. 2 is basically the exact same as before. I'm a twenty year old journalism major. I've struggled with parking on campus the past three years of college and I thought there has to be something I can do to change parking. If this concept became a reality, it would not only help thousands of other University of Florida students but also myself.
I am offering a quick and easy way to have access to easy parking and a easy ride to campus. From the interviews I have conducted, I have learned that is it easier to build up rather than out. So I would build a 20 story parking garage to hopefully offer more easy access to parking. Students and faculty can pay by semester and it would only cost $100 a semester. For anyone else who may need to park on campus but doesn't want to buy the semester pass, it is $3 a day or $10 a week. We also offer a shuttle which is $1.50 or free with a gator one card. This shuttle will run to the Hub, Library West, Southwest Rec, and Century Tower making no other stops that is designated one.
I am offering this product to anyone. It can be a student, faculty member or anyone in the general public. All my customers have to the need to park in common.
Customers will pay me for my product because it is by far the cheapest around. The direct shuttles to campus us unique only to us. No other buses or shuttles offer one direct stop.
What sets Gator Shuttle apart is basically the same as on my Idea Napkin No. 1: our prices and space. We would be the cheapest and quickest option offered to students or whomever else.
I think all these ideas fit together very well. After planning out the different prices, I think everything goes together. There still needs to be a bit more planning as to where the parking garage would go, but all in all I think it has come together nicely.
Five main points I took from the feedback was: figure out the shuttle pricing, make parking pricing cheaper than the park and ride semester parking UF offers, make the shuttle go to specific locations, and making Gator Shuttle as a whole stand out from the different parking options at UF. I incorporated this feedback by changing all my prices to become more affordable and beat out literally all other competitors while still looking to make a profit. I also added four direct shuttle locations that hit all the main points of campus.
I agree with you, parking is a huge hassle at UF. However, I have two main concerns about your idea. First, while a 20 story parking garage would be a major plus I don't think it would be possible. Currently no building in Gainesville is allowed to be higher than 104 feet. Also the costs associated with building that would be extraordinary. Second, many of the areas you want to offer direct transportation to are on restricted roads during the day. Stadium Road, Newell Drive, and Union Road all are closed to most vehicles until 4:30, I believe. In order to overcome this, you would have to form some sort of agreement with the university which would hurt your profit margin.
ReplyDeleteI find this concept to be very salient, but at the same time there are a few holes that could cause the business to collapse. First, I am concerned the possibility of building something of that size on or near campus. As Chris mentioned above, getting approval for this project could take years. Secondly, if students can ride free with a Gator 1, how will you generate profit? You mention that it's geared towards students so I am worried that you may have to opt out of allowing students with a Gator 1 ride for free.
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