Parking at UC Davis
Building a better, more efficient system for parking
In January 2021, Transportation Services implemented changes to our parking operations to not only modernize parking demand on campus but help us to get closer to our sustainability goals. Changes to our parking operations include:
- ParkMobile, a pay-by-phone parking app allows drivers to pay for parking from your phone!
- Daily parking rates address more concerns of a campus community embracing flexible work and school arrangements. Switching from monthly permits to a daily rate will save nearly every driver money over the course of the year.
- License Plate Recognition (LPR) technology is a system that scans license plates, compares them against our database, and greatly streamlines the collection of parking rate fees.
Campus Parking at a Glance
Adapting to change, planning for flexible commutes
Commute patterns have changed. Transportation Services underwent an extensive planning effort, Transportation Tomorrow, and determined that campus would be best served if we prioritized investments that help people occasionally make a car-free commute.
With our workforce and student body rapidly shifting to remote work and flexible learning arrangements, we've advanced our goal of getting people to make parking choices on a daily basis. Rather than "locking" people into a monthly parking payment, having the appropriate technologies in place allows flexibility, helping to simplify the daily parking and permitting process for those people who may now infrequently visit the campus. (A monthly parking option is also available for employees who need to drive to campus regularly.)
See our Mission, Vision, and Goals
Transportation Services is 100% self-funded and responsible for more than just parking
No state or tuition dollars, or student fees, are put toward the maintenance of our parking structures, lots, roads, sidewalks, and pathways. That's our job, and parking revenue pays for it. Overall, the infrastructure is becoming more costly amidst an unprecedented decline in permit revenue. Daily parking fees help keep our unit operational and able to meet the demands of managing the campus’s extensive parking and transportation systems.