Parking updates, reminders for new academic year

Dedric Carter, vice chancellor for operations and technology transfer, and Gwen Bolden, director of Parking and Transportation Services, welcomed students, faculty and staff back to campus with updates and reminders about getting to, from and around Washington University in St. Louis.

“We are looking forward to a great year ahead,” Carter said. “Regardless of your role at WashU, we hope this video provides you with insight about the many parking and transportation options available to you.”

Parking permits

As a reminder, any eligible individual who wants to park on campus during the 2018-19 academic year must purchase a new 2018-19 parking permit. Permits are required for all zones. However, between the hours of 5 p.m. and 7 a.m., no permit is needed to park in any yellow or visitor space in any zone. Red spaces are enforced at all times.

Those eligible for a permit include undergraduate students with a junior or higher standing; graduate students; full- or part-time employees; and basic service contractors (employees of Allied Universal, Aramark, Bon Appetit, Catering St. Louis, Focal Pointe, Follett, Huntleigh and WFF) who work at the Danforth, North and West campuses. Other vendors who require access to campus may purchase a vendor permit. First- and second-year students may not have a vehicle on campus.

To purchase a permit, visit the parking permit site. By logging in with a WUSTL key, the system will only show the permits each individual is eligible to buy. Those without a WUSTL key can visit the Parking and Transportation office at North Campus, 700 Rosedale, at the corner of Skinker and Enright. To review the full list of permits, visit the Permit Options webpage.

“If you were unable to attend the recent permit distribution at the Mallinckrodt Center, it is your responsibility to visit the Parking & Transportation office at North Campus to secure your permit for this year,” Bolden said. “If you do not pick your permit up prior to Friday, Sept. 8, you will forfeit your permit assignment. At that time, all unclaimed permits will be returned to the parking permit inventory and reassigned to individuals on the waitlist.”

There is a waitlist for all Zone 2 and 3 parking permits. Those who would like to be added may email parktrans@wustl.edu with the subject “waitlist” and include their preferred permit and zone, six-digit university ID, email address and phone number. Individuals will be added to the waitlist in the order the email is received.

Alternative transportation

“WashU also offers a variety of flexible alternative commuting options and programs for those interested in saving money, enjoying a less stressful commute, or looking for a more active lifestyle,” Bolden said. “We recently updated two of our programs, the Occasional Parking Program and Bearly Drivers Carpool, and encourage you to review these options carefully.”

Occasional Parking Program

The Occasional Parking Program is available to full- and part-time faculty and staff, graduate students and basic service contractors who only occasionally park on campus and do not have any other permit besides a motorcycle permit.

Interested participants have up to one month to try the program. Within that trial period, individuals can return the permits for a refund of any unused time. They then may purchase any available permit or pay public parking rates.

Learn more about OPP on the Occasional Parking Program webpage and carefully review all of the details to ensure the program is a fit throughout the permit year, which ends July 31.

Bearly Drivers Carpool

Bearly Drivers Carpool allows full-time Danforth faculty and staff to share the cost of a significantly reduced parking permit and park in designated Bearly Drivers parking spaces within the team’s assigned area. To participate, each member of a carpool team must enroll in the program, and individuals pay their portion via payroll deduction. Rates for 2018-19 include: $240 for a four-person carpool; $360 for a three-person carpool; and $540 for a two-person carpool.

Learn more about all of the university’s alternative transportation programs on the Transportation Options webpage.

Those interested in purchasing an OPP or Bearly Drivers Carpool permit can apply online at Occasional Parking Program or Bearly Drivers Carpool.

Visitor parking

Visitor parking has been consolidated to the Danforth University Center, Snow Way, Millbrook and West Campus garages. Visitors parking in these garages must pull a parking ticket, park in a designated visitor space and pay prior to exiting. The university also offers Passport Parking — an app that allows individuals to pay for parking by the hour from their phones — and park in designated visitor spaces across campus.

Learn more about visitor parking and review parking locations on the visitor parking webpage.

“For those who were with us over the past year as we rolled out a new parking and transportation strategy, thank you for your patience,” Carter said. “For those joining us for the first time this year, welcome to WashU.”

For additional information, visit parking.wustl.edu or contact the Parking and Transportation Services team at 314-935-5601 or parktrans@wustl.edu.