Forum on Transportation Topics

Top Questions  

• What is the best way to get our parking and commute questions answered?
• Please email parking@ucdavis.edu.
  
  It may take a few days to receive a reply due to the sheer number of questions we receive.
• I have an issue with parking and the Medical Center, who do I contact?
• Please contact Parking and Transportation Services, which supports all things parking for UC Davis Health.
  
  health.ucdavis.edu/parking/

Transportation Services Operations        

• Why do employees/students have to pay for parking?
• Per the California Master Plan for Higher Education from 1960, Housing, Dining, and Parking are required to be self-funding auxilliary enterprises of the University. In other words, they must fund operations from user fees. Also, see slides from forum for more detail.
• Why are tickets so expensive?
• Our goal is to encourage compliance with campus parking policy.
  
  Writing and collecting on citations is a more expensive process than drivers simply paying their fair share of parking and thus the cost of the citation must be higher to cover those costs. Moreover, if the cost of a parking citation were too low, many more people would risk getting a citation thereby further increasing the citation rate and the expenses related to parking compliance operations. 
  
  That said, we also use the appeal process to fix citations when we make errors.
• Why should we spend money on parking space availability sensors when there is so much parking available?
• Preparation. Parking demand is low now, but it will not be low forever. The campus continues to expand enrollment and some of those students will park on campus.
  
  Those students will need faculty and staff to support them. And some of those employees will need to park as well.
  
  Additionally, as departments that presently work off-campus come back to campus, parking demand will increase. 
  
  The increased efficencies these technologies will improve driver experience and save money by directing compliance efforts more accurately and timely.
• Why don't we use salary-based rates?
• There are severe inequities to salary based rates based on the assumption that every employee has exactly the same type of household and needs. Consider the three hypothetical employees below: 
  
  1. Single-parent of 3 making $100k.
  2. Married employee with no children making $45k with a non-UC spouse who makes $150k. 
  
  Who needs the subsidy more? We make equity with providing different priced parking areas. We reduced the price for Lot 30 and Lot 57 to increase access to lower cost parking.
• Is Transportation Services allowed to accept donations or sponsorships to reduce parking fees in the future?
• There's nothing to prevent this to our knowledge, but know that it would need to be a fairly sizable donation to make a dent in the price of parking.
• Is parking free on weekends or only on holidays?
• Parking is free on the weekends and University holidays, with the exception of special events where parking areas with permit requirements will be posted in advance.
• Are subsidies formerly available through GoClub (e.g., free parking and bus passes) coming back?
• No, these subsidies ended during the pandemic and with the introduction of daily rates.               

LRPP (Monthly) Permits

• Why can't I opt in and out of daily/LRPP parking options?
• By January 2023, employees can opt in and out of monthly, LRPP, parking on a monthly basis instead of annually.
• If you must work on campus daily, is it cheaper to buy the monthly permit instead of the daily?
• It depends on how frequently you drive to campus within a given month and which level of access (A, C, L) you tend to use.
  
  If you park 17+ times in a month using the daily A exclusively, you're better off with LRPP-A.
  
  Using the Daily C in the same scenario? Then the threshold is 19+ days.
  
  Daily L? You have to park more than 20 days/month regularly to make LRPP-L worth it.
• Can affiliates who use LRPP also use AMP Park to pay for affiliate rates for event parking?
• Yes, definitely! Just be sure to use your UC Davis email when you register with AMP Park.

Parking Rates    

• If I pay to park in an A parking spot, can I park elsewhere on campus without paying again?
• Yes. If you pay for a daily A permit, you can park in an A, C, or L lot. 
  
  The C permit is valid in both C and L lots.
• How do UC Davis' daily rates compare to other UCs?
• UC Davis' daily rates are the cheapest of all UC campuses.
• How do we pay the affiliate rate for weekend events?
• Register with your UC Davis email and use the AMP Park app to access affiliate rates.
• If I have to work on an event weekend, what will the cost be for a C lot?
• Most employees will pay for event parking at the C zone rate. However, the best choice for most people in this situation is to park in a non-event parking lot and thus avoid paying at all on the weekend.

Causeway Connection and Bus Services 

• Will you be bringing back the Causeway Connection's East Davis pick-up location?
• While this was part of the original route, it was discontinued because it required additional trips to still deliver "express" service to the Medical Center. Establishing this stop would require additional funding, which we don't have.
• Can a bus stop be established at the Primate Center?
• Unfortunately, while we work with various transit providers, we don't control any of the transit systems. Yolobus and Unitrans would need to evaluate the demand for a route to touch the Primate Center and make that decision. If there is a strong need, we can help convey that to partners. Please email Ramon Zavala at rgzavala@ucdavis.edu for assistance.
• Can Transportation Services subsidize bus passes for affiliates?
• Transportation Services would happily reinstitute bus subsidies, but we're not financially able to yet.
• Is there any collaboration between TS and Yolobus about adding service to/from campus?
• We speak with Yolobus regularly, but we don't have funding to support adding routes to their system.

Vanpools            

• Does UC Davis provide funds for van pools?
• All vanpools are 100% funded by their riders. There is no current subsidy for vanpools.
• Are there plans to negotiate a price for Enterprise vanpools?
• UC has completed a systemwide contract and now Enterprise can go through UC Davis' Vendor Risk Assessment process. This process will take months to complete and then UC Davis affiliates can access nagotiated rates.
  
  In the interim, please email Ramon Zavala at rgzavala@ucdavis.edu for assistance.           

JAPA Parking Availability App and Parking Sensors            

• Can the new JAPA app technology help ensure I have a space to park my electric car?
• No, JAPA will only show when a space is occupied and when it is vacant.
• Can Transportation Services cover the total cost of the sensors and cameras (funding source, purchase, installation, maintenance, licensing, and locations)?
• We are using funds from citations to cover the costs associated with cameras and sensors.

Other Important Questions        

• Can you provide some information on public transportation options to the UCD campus?
• Absolutely. Please email Ramon Zavala at rgzavala@ucdavis.edu for assistance.
• Can the campus provide a safe parking lot for students and staff who live out of their vehicles?
• If you are a student in this position, please contact Aggie Compass -  aggiecompass.ucdavis.edu/housing-security
  
  If you are a UC Davis staff employee in this position, please consider seeking funds through the UC Davis Staff Emergency Fund - hr.ucdavis.edu/emergency-fund/Davis           
• I am emeritus, how should I handle parking?
• Please contact the UC Davis Retiree Center and they will provide details on the retiree e-permits.
  
  taps.ucdavis.edu/parking/retiree