As the move to the Scotts Valley Center approaches, we wanted to share important updates about transportation and parking.
Parking at Scotts Valley Center
Staff will not have to pay for parking at the Scotts Valley Center, and there will be 370 spaces reserved specifically for UCSC based on the square footage we're leasing. Office buildings are required by code to provide 3 spaces for every 1,000 foot of office space, and this parking allocation conforms to that standard. We will have access to parking both underneath modules E and F (first come, first served) as well as in surface lots. We will be issuing permits to staff working at SVC for the staff parking, and the building also has spaces for visitor parking.
There will be approximately 350 staff working at the Scotts Valley Center; given that we will have vanpools and some staff carpool, and given that some people typically utilize alternative transportation or are out of the office on a given day, our requirements will be met by the parking spaces provided. Visitors will be able to utilize visitor parking spaces at the front of the building.
Other transportation optionsThe staff survey administered by UCSC Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) showed that there wouldn't be sufficient demand to support a traditional shuttle service. However, the campus will be offering several options to help employees get to the Scotts Valley Center and conduct university business. Those options include van pools, ZimRides, landlord-sponsored Uber service, and Zip Cars, and are described below.
UC Santa Cruz staff and student employees will be able to use Uber for transportation between the Scotts Valley Center and the main campus for business purposes. Staff will be able to book rides online or through the iOS and Android app, which would be charged directly to the campus.
However, the landlord is open to increasing the level of service, if the Uber program is found not to be meeting the campus's needs. UCSC will conduct surveys to provide insight into the quality and efficacy of the Uber service once we have some experience with it.
With the investment in videoconferencing technology and the anticipated change in expectations for required in-person meetings, we hope to reduce the need for travel, which is both good for the environment and cuts down on time spent going from place to place.
Additionally, UCSC will be setting up a ZipCar pod with usage to be paid directly by departments. The ZipCar can also be used by staff for personal trips.
UCSC is in the process of creating van pools to support commuter transportation to the Scotts Valley Center from various locations. If you are interested in participating as a rider, driver, or backup driver on one of these new van pool routes, please complete the follow-up survey. Also, carpools can be facilitated through an online rideshare/carpool organizational tool already available at UCSC via Zimride (https://www.zimride.com/ucsc/).
