Preferred parking

CEDAR RAPIDS - Drivers who invest in fuel-saving “green” vehicles will find that ownership qualifies them for a parking bonus at some lots in Cedar Rapids.

Two new Linn County office buildings and two new engineering buildings at Rockwell Collins offer reserved parking spots close to the entrances for alternative fuel or gas-electric hybrid vehicles.

But the reason behind the parking preferences for certain vehicles isn't what you might expect.

Ten parking spots at Linn County's Community Services building, 1240 26th Ave. Ct. SW, are marked for alternative fuel vehicles only. County officials admit the signs may be a bit confusing, which is why the parking spots largely go unused.

“They've been empty,” assistant facility manager Steve Nunemaker said.

However, the signs on three parking spaces at the county's Juvenile Justice Center, 211 Eighth Ave. SW, make the intent clearer. They welcome low-emission, fuel-efficient vehicles only.

Linn County Supervisor Linda Langston said the spaces at both buildings were set aside for use by gas-electric hybrids, flex-fuel vehicles that use the E85 ethanol mixture, or the rare vehicles that are all electric or run on compressed natural gas.

But the reason for the reserved spaces for such vehicles doesn't really have anything to do with parking. Instead, it's a tactic the county has used to qualify the buildings for the highest energy-efficiency rating awarded by a national group.

The Community Services and Juvenile Justice Center buildings were constructed with energy-efficient materials and lighting. But one way to earn the credits for the so-called LEED certification, given by the U.S. Green Building Council, is to set aside a certain amount of parking strictly for alternative fuel vehicles that generate less pollution.

Langston said it's a trend that drivers will probably see more of in the future.

“I really do think you will, and I think the people who are early adopters of hybrid vehicles and different kinds of vehicles will appreciate that,” she said.

Supervisors are drafting plans to set aside similar alternative fuel parking spaces at the Jean Oxley Linn County Public Service Center, 930 First St. SW, when that building reopens this summer.

For some motorists, the whole concept of special parking spaces for certain types of green vehicles takes some explaining.

David Kiecksee, who was doing business at one county building, said, “I never noticed it till you brought it up, but I think it's a good idea - anything that will keep the air a little cleaner.”

But another driver, Trisha Abram, disagreed.

“It's out of the ordinary because it's like if you drive the right car, you get the right parking - to me that's not fair.”

County officials say enforcement, for now, is mainly on the honor system.

While the two county buildings, and two recent engineering buildings at Rockwell Collins, are the only ones setting aside space for alternative fuel parking, others are on the way.

Cedar Rapids officials say the new downtown library and central fire station will likely use construction techniques and materials that will qualify for LEED certification, and set-aside parking for green vehicles might be part of the package.